OK, the pictures are shite - but they may give you some impression of the odd grandeur that is the Bush Hall. Especially odd since it's situated in the shittier end of Shepards Bush.



Anyway, I did have prepared a long essay about some of the songwriters I like, and how Robin Proper-Sheppard (who basically is Sophia) fits in with them... then it descended into some waffle about sad songs and 3am moments and "Boo Hoo I'm so alone"-crap. You don't want to know about that...



Instead I'll give you a fairly dry description of the band and the music. Full band tonight, which in Sophia terms means your standard drums/bass/guitar with a smattering of piano and a string quartet. They started off with a couple of early songs: The Sea, and If Only - both sort of country-ish tear-jerkers, then they moved on to some of the new songs. These are quite a bit different, not quite as melancholic and more willing to experiment - the powerbook came out on a few occasions. One of the new songs stood out especially, Desert Song #2, this starts off with a really beautiful string arrangement which then gently gives way to the main guitar riff and some really touching lyrics (which I'm damned if I can remember now!) - then half way through POW! they go all Mogwai with some serious white noise. OK, I'll concide that it was a fairly Partisan crowd but there were audible gasps and cries of "Fuck Me! That's good" after that tune, and damn it is good. If they can capture that song in a recording studio then the new Sophia CD is going to be worth buying for that alone... Remember kids, Desert Song #2.



Anyway, not much more to say - they started late, and consequently I had to leave before the end to get a train home - but all in all a good night out, good to hear some of my favourite tunes played live, and good to hear some of Sophia's new music.