The Soul Kitchen

Eric Roberson, Anthony David and Angela Johnson @ The IndigO2, London 04/10/08

Great venue, great line up, this evening promised to be a night of the very best in upfront soul music and I’m pleased to say we were not to be disappointed.

Hosted by Calvin Francis who warmed us up with some old skool soul on the decks, we were more than ready for the live acts. Starting off what was to be a great show was the unbelievably talented Angela Johnson, she single handedly wowed the audience with a selection of tracks, which, I am ashamed to admit I had very little knowledge of - I will definitely be looking her up now. Her voice had the crowd in awe as she casually belted out some of the best soul music I have ever heard at a live show- her vocals and her own personal keys accompaniment was the perfect combination.

The duet with Eric Roberson was also a great addition to her set (there is nothing like some Ero vocals to enhance a record even more!) If you haven’t already- please check her out- her latest album is a women’s touch- which she sang a few tracks from on the night- what a great artist and performer.

Anthony David followed and continued to keep the good soul coming with a quality delivery of the best of his three albums- impressive as always. Starting his set with level 42’s something about you, smoke one- which he dedicated to Bernie Mac, this performance made me appreciate this tune in a completely new light, and had such a great impact live. He then followed with Stop playin’, Lady, Spittin’ game and finishing off nicely with the beautiful Words- in which he called upon the vocals of Angela Johnson in the place of India Aire.

The highest point for me was his performance of cheatin’ man, which merged nicely into Cold turkey...Anthony David and his guitar- not to be missed. He really deserves credit for his shows, I cant stress enough how great he is live - there is a great honesty and natural ability in his performances, not forgetting the clarity and uniqueness of his voice, which you just don’t get from his studio recordings. There is no superstar bravado, or over styled image- which is really refreshing, and this makes him stand out even more as an artist.

Eric Roberson finished the show as the headlining artist of the evening- as always he put on a flawless show; and I felt on this occasion he really excelled himself. A cool, more relaxed Ero effortlessly performed a small selection of his extensive track list with a set which included the classic tunes we all know and love- Couldn’t hear me, Change for me, Evening, Been in Love, Obstacles (which was my favourite performance) and pretty girl, which he dedicated to the late and great J Dilla. Not forgetting to mention the famous Ero freestyle- (which has now become a regular addition to his live gigs) when he manages to incorporate random words from the audience into a tune.

The great thing about Ero live is that each performance is unique, It’s not possible to see too many of his shows (or am I just biased!?), he always adds something different - a extended guitar solo, an unexpected duet, track, or a freestyle. With so many great tunes and great albums you are guaranteed a good selection- I was expecting to hear a little more from his pending album, but he only gave a sneak preview of a couple tracks which I wasn’t familiar with - one of which he sang with Angela Johnson.

I have been lucky enough to see Eric Roberson many times now, and if you haven’t and you consider yourself a neo soul fan, I’d strongly recommend you do, I promise you will not be disappointed. He is such a talented, unique artist who obviously has a great passion for music and performing, and he genuinely wants to share his music in a positive way, as he sings in the track untitled Music ‘I’m glad I got your ears....’ and he definitely has mine, and judging by the size of the crowd at this gig, his fan base is growing! I, like many will look forward to the next album...lets hope its soon!5 Stars

 

 



PRESS RELEASE

ERIC HEADLINES AT URBAN TRIPLE-HEADER

London’s Indigo2 will play host to an urban music triple-header this autumn, with Eric Roberson, Anthony David and Angela Johnson teaming up for the exclusive one-off date on Saturday October 4.

Says Eric: “All three of us decided to come together for one major show for our UK and European fans, and it’ll be 4 hours of non-stop soul and R&B. ‘Honest music’, as Anthony and I like to call it.”

Eric recently guested on New Yorker Angela’s album “A Woman’s Touch” with the up-tempo “Let Me Know”, set for release as a single on May 26. Anthony is currently climbing the Urban charts in the US with “Words”, a duet with fellow Atlanta artist India Arie.

Among the artists for whom Eric wrote songs earlier in his career are Jazzy Jeff and Jill Scott, who describes him as “a brilliant singer with a voice like red velvet cake”. He has released six albums independently on his own Blue Erro Soul label in the US, and is signed as a songwriter to EMI Music.

Tickets for the show are available from May 19
from
Ticketmaster 0844 844 0002 and www.theindigo2.com

Further information:
Santosh Robinson 01903 771027
santosh@domerecords.co.uk

www.domerecords.co.uk
www.ericrobersonmusic.com
www.theindigo2.com
Ticketmaster: 0844 844 0002

Going to this gig? want to write a review? contact us!

About Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | © 2008 The Soul Kitchen