Some of London’s brightest new acts took to the stage at K West Live’s April showcase, following in the footsteps of many prestigious musicians.
Albert Gold, Montrell, and Hannah Jane Lewis took to the stage for the second event in the music night series at the Shepherd’s Bush venue, which has previously hosted artists such as Amy Winehouse and the Kaiser Chiefs.
Gold opened the show, performing a six song set accompanied by guitarist Charlie Taylor.
Gold said: “Everyone was just listening, just looking and staring.
“I was like this is actually quite nice.
“The vibe was so nice, so chill.”
Gold opened with ‘Shade’, a track from his third EP expected later this year, before performing hits from his first two releases including ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ and ‘Satellites’.
His silky tones and incredible range has the audience mesmerised and his involvement in the music was a flashback to where it all began for him, church.
He said: “I’ve been singing since I started singing in church, so probably since I was about 9 or 10.
“I’m 27 now so it’s been a long while but I’m gonna keep going until I make it.”
Based on Gold’s performance, there’s no doubt he is just as talented as some of those artists who visited the building years before him.
Now known mainly for its award-winning spa facilities, the building was a hub of rock and roll years ago.
In the 1970s and 1980s artists such as Bob Marley, David Bowie and The Kinks recorded at the venue, then BBC Recording Studio Kensington House.
In 2001 the building was re-purposed and K West was born.
Artists such as Amy Winehouse, Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs began to stay at the hotel, even using it as a venue for Brits after parties.
More recently, the hotel has been used as a Bushstock Festival venue.
The K West Live event reclaims and uses some of that musical heritage.
An event organiser said: “A lot of people don’t know what to expect with K West because they’ve got a luxurious, amazing, award winning spa downstairs, but they’re also like this rock and roll history hub.”
The stage itself has a very intimate feel and the relaxed vibe was complemented by the first 100 attendees receiving a free London Pilsner from the Portobello Brewing Company.
The second act of the evening, Montrell, made the venue their own by rearranging the seats and bringing stools onto the stage.
Lead singer, Jonny P Taylor, joked: “We’ve carefully set you up like this to replicate our previous gigs.
“A few people in a room sat in front of us.”
Montrell’s set marked a change in tone, as soul made way for the band’s intricately composed indie tracks. The stand out song was ‘Leaving Me Annie,’ a track about social anxiety for which a video is expected in the coming months.
Montrell wrapped up their set with ‘Morning’, and Taylor’s searing vocals echoed through the crowd, as he sang the lyric ‘love is just a language we can barely speak’.
Hannah Jane Lewis was the third and final act, changing the vibe of the evening once more as she belted out her pop tracks.
Lewis was fresh and upbeat with a small serving of attitude, performing ‘Why Start the War’ second, exactly two years to the day of the song’s release.
She also performed a cover of ‘Unforgettable’ by French Montana and ‘Not Yours Never Was’, a newly written song.
Following the live music a DJ took over, with the event finishing at 1am.
The night was a carefully crafted journey from soul, to indie, to pop, offering something for everyone and paying tribute to the heritage which made the building so great.
K West Live will return on Thursday May 17.
The event will feature Black Kat Boppers, Stephanie Sounds and Bennie, plus live DJs.
There is also a chance for one gig goer to win a free day in the studio with Recording Studio London.
Dave Ferguson, Director of the studio, said: “We work with a variety of acts, from emerging talent right through to major label artists.
”Whatever your level of experience or success, working with us will bring out the absolute best in what you do.”
