The City’s newest night of music and poetry…
It’s midweek, everyone’s tired and the weekend feels quite a long way away; so, what do you do on a dull Wednesday evening? You get yourself down to The Foundry Brew Pub for Luke Smith’s Lo-fi Zone, of course. It’s the newest live music night in town, and it’s debut this week got off to... View Article
It’s midweek, everyone’s tired and the weekend feels quite a long way away; so, what do you do on a dull Wednesday evening? You get yourself down to The Foundry Brew Pub for Luke Smith’s Lo-fi Zone, of course. It’s the newest live music night in town, and it’s debut this week got off to a roaring start.
Hidden behind the high street, at the end of one of Canterbury’s winding cobblestone lanes, a candle and lamp-lit room held a bustling crowd of eager locals waiting for the night to begin. Luke Smith & The Feelings opened with a song about simple pleasures, setting the tone as one of lighthearted comedic whimsy (but with a touch, now and then, of brutal reality). The band’s musical style is self-described as ‘enigmatic pop that no one’s heard of’, and after a 10 year hiatus it’s no wonder they’re relatively unknown. Between them they play guitar, drums and piano, the latter lending a mature, intimate feel to the evening that separates it from some of the more studenty music nights in the city.
During a short break, Luke introduced Zahrah Sheikh, the evening’s spoken word poet. Zahrah gave a stunning, emotionally fuelled performance with poems that covered fear, family and faith. Her poetry is full of rhythm and energy that draws the entire room to her, refusing to accept anything other than your absolute attention. And it is certainly deserved; if you get the chance to see Zahrah perform, locally or beyond, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.
The final musical offering of the evening was Poggy Hatton, a singer-songwriter from Deal, Kent whose sound might best be described as soul/folk with a welcome inflection of tribal drum beats. Poggy explained how most of the songs on her album were written about or for women, adding a personal touch and creating a warm, appreciative atmosphere amongst the audience. In her final song, ‘Beautiful Woman’, Poggy gave a gorgeous, otherworldly a cappella performance that had everyone mesmerised. As a musician, she is somewhere in between Laura Marling and Joni Mitchell; a singer whose haunting, ethereal voice echoes through a room long after the song has ended.
Luke Smith & The Feelings returned for a brief set which included an alternative version of the Chas & Dave song, ‘London Girls’, the band appropriately renaming it ‘Canterbury Girls’ (“they’ll pay more than a pound for a pint but they won’t quite pay a fiver”). The band ended on a humorous note with a sing-song inner monologue of first love, Luke performing as a teenage boy and another singer, Em, accompanying him as his would-be girlfriend.
As live music goes, Luke Smith’s Lo-fi Zone has something for everyone, so it’s definitely worth checking out. You’ll find it upstairs at The Foundry every Wednesday, just waiting to brighten up your midweek blues with wonderful words and sweet-sounding beats.
Luke Smith’s Lo-Fi Zone takes place every Wednesday from 20:45 at The Foundry
