Live Review: Katy J Pearson - Brudenell Social Club, 17/09/2022
Katy J Pearson has quickly become one of the most well respected artists within the UK music scene.
Regularly heralded by her peers, her debut album ‘Return’ shot her to fame with it’s irresistible folk sensibilities and Pearson’s distinctive vocal performances. Jump forward a couple of years and hot off the back of the release of her new record “Sound Of The Morning”, Pearson made an appearance at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds to delight fans with a flawless performance of her incredible back catalogue that reaffirmed why she is one of the most complete performers of her generation.
A sold out crowd awaited the Bristolian at the Leeds venue’s Community Room. With the stage dressed in a shimmering gold backdrop, Katy J Pearson emerged to the sound of county classic ‘Ladybird’ by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, in what was a perfect piece of foreshadowing for the Americana tinged performance that lay ahead.
Opening the show with ‘Take Back The Radio’ taken from her debut record ‘Return’, Pearson and her band immediately found their stride with one of the rising stars biggest hits to date. Almost bashful in her presence on stage, Pearson gives the impression that she still can’t quite believe that she has made it however, the strength of her songwriting stands up to that of any of her contemporaries and with the performance of her second track of the evening ‘Beautiful Soul’ she showed off the full extent of these capabilities.
It is without hyperbole that I say that Pearson possesses one of the most unique vocals of a generation and it is in experiencing her performances live that you get to understand and appreciate this unique gift without impediment. Supported on stage by a five-piece band of talented musicians, performances are punctuated with impressive trumpet solos and individual efforts however, there is no doubt over who is the star of the show and with her rendition of “Miracle” Pearson provides one of the highlights of the night with an elastic vocal performance that firmly grips the room with its immediacy.
As well as tracks from her debut album, Pearson’s performance draws heavily on tracks from her new record including the likes of “Howl”, the stripped back “Sound Of The Morning” and a piece of pop perfection in the form of “Alligator”, to name but a few. Pearson however, opted to end her set with “Waiting For The Day” taken from her debut album before an energetic cover of “Roam” by the B-52s to close out the night.
One of the most striking things about the performance at The Brudenell was the distinct lack of distraction on show throughout the crowd, Pearson’s commanding performance gripped the attention of the audience from the outset throughout which is a rare spectacle in the midst of the internet age. Katy J Pearson however, is not your average performer and it is her supreme talent that has cemented her reputation within the upper echelons of the British music scene and that allows her to hold an audience in the palm of her hand so freely. Katy J Pearson is one not to be missed.
Words by Jordan Corrigan
