Live Review: Vera Blue, Matt Gresham, The Outdoor Type

Outside the venue we see "Vera Blue" written on a chalk board with those much-desired words "SOLD OUT" scrawled underneath.

Inside, The Outdoor Type (aka Zack Buchanan) immediately creates a vibe in the room that we can only hope continues all night. Bright and uplifting renditions of tracks such as Are You Happy and single When The Sun Goes Down showcase brilliant musicianship.

After a brief interval, very blonde-haired Matt Gresham walks on stage, guitar in hand. Gresham exudes a carefree attitude about his music. Gresham's acoustic guitar synchronises seamlessly with his powerful vocals and the emotion behind his single Small Voices seems genuine. With gentle and resilient lyrics, Gresham somehow manages to engage the audience even though a whisper from the back row can be heard from the front. Gresham's soulful vocals humanise the digital nature of his beats. The audience seem more than content with the relaxed nature of his performance.

Warm purple and pink lights create a night sky behind Vera Blue's red hair — a sunset of sorts that 20-year-old Celia Pavey fashions into a canvas for her angelic vocals. While she's now known as a folk-electronica artist, from Pavey's first track we're immediately made aware of the incredible vocal range this girl has. She performs an interpretation of Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz and just how this guitarist/singer is able to create an emotional ride from a normally upbeat hip hop track is bewildering.

Unfortunately, the audience seems preoccupied with the fact that it's a school night and don't give Pavey the credit she deserves (either that or they are taken away with her powerfully dreamy performances). Nevertheless, Pavey executes a flawless rendition of her Like A Version cover, Jack Garratt's Breathe Life. We wonder where this incredibly talented musician finds space to breathe between Florence & The Machine-sounding ballads. Blue closes with her debut single Hold and watching her is an extraordinary experience.