09/02/12: Last week saw Britain’s very own upcoming country girl Gabrielle Aplin tread the boards to perform for one of the city’s most daunting crowds… the main floor choc-a-bloc with all of us boys at Heaven for our customary weekend blowout, of course!
What could be described as Britain’s answer to Carly Rae Jepson – at least physically and with that sweet-as-morning-dew persona – Aplin, just 20, has a decidedly more haunting, lullaby-like and repressed-romantic edge about her.
That was instantly apparent as she made her dainty stride out from stage left towards the mic, kitted out simply in her brown mini-dress and suede boots – guitar strung up across her shoulder.
Apart from the man accompanying her on the keyboard, Aplin was ultimately a one woman show – and endeavored to let soft, tinkling ballad after ballad wash over the tropes of revelers huddled in the room.
With Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ appearing, and nicely appreciated, as a number early in her set – Gabrielle had set the tone and went on to perform the tracks that saw tallies of music-lovers soar on her YouTube profile and land her this moment in the spotlight.
‘The Power of Love’, ‘Home’ and perhaps the most favoured of her pure hearted ditties ‘til date ‘Please Don’t Say You Love Me’. Meanwhile – as Alpin crooned under the blue lights, the boys in the rooms surrounding centre stage – the Star Bar, Pop Room and VIP Lounge – were raising their arms, and hell fire, to the filthy degree of bass coming in wave after wave from all of today’s commercial anthems!
From opening to closing time, with a spot of live, accoustic magic in the middle, it was another all round crowd-pleasing affair at London’s gay super-club this weekend. Surprised? We think not.
Heaven, Under The Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG
Words by Yaf Brown
