I had never been to the Rescue Rooms, seen Izzy Bizu or Foxes live prior to this gig so I was excited and a little intrigued to find such an intimate setting for a Grammy winner to be playing.
The venue itself is compact but welcoming with all of the staff giving off a friendly vibe and quick service. There were two bars, one outside of the gig which had more of a pub feel with a long bar and lots of seating. Inside of the gig area there is another bar so you don’t need to leave to get a drink. The gig room is painted all black with a balcony above the bar for a better view if you’re not one that likes to get a sweaty in the middle of it all. Although the venue was small and pretty rammed it felt friendly and comfortable rather than claustrophobic.
As Izzy Bizu came on the lights dimmed and turned blue, highlighting the stage. Her set was short but sweet as she started with ‘Diamonds’ and aired a couple of her more popular songs including ‘White Tiger’ and ‘Give Me Love’. Judging from the crowd, not many people seemed to know her initially but by the end of set the atmosphere was upbeat and the reaction overwhelmingly positive.
After a break of half an hour Foxes bounced onto stage dressed in an outfit that only a few could pull off (essentially a bath robe) and immediately got the crowd going with ‘Holding onto Heaven’. Foxes also played a medley of songs including the first song she wrote, ‘Youth’, as well as an exclusive track from her album to be released next year. Unfortunately, the name of the song wasn’t mentioned but it’s guaranteed to be everywhere next year.
After a couple of covers Foxes launched into ‘Clarity’, starting off acoustically and then going into the full band version, getting the crowd jumping and yelling out the chorus. Then she polished off the night by ditching the robe (no it wasn’t that kind of show) and playing her biggest single ‘Let it Go For Tonight’ before promptly rocketing off stage with a swish of hair.
It had all the key elements of a good gig- lots of energy, great tracks and a shimmery bath robe. What more could you want?
By Olivia Redmayne Peacock
Comments