The Miserable Rich looking only slightly depressed

I managed to catch two gigs last Tuesday. In one, the infinitely kitsch and crowded Christmas Lights turn-on at Oxford Street, I found myself pressed against a wire fence watching The Saturdays gesticulate with mic stands. Later, I was in the corner of a pub basement in Farringdon watching some of the best folk music I’ve heard live in a while. No prizes for guessing which one was slightly more enjoyable.

At The Slaughtered Lamb we walked in on a bearded Vadoinmessico front man, tinkling his guitar along to head-boppable tunes like ‘Cave’ and ‘In Spain’. Their set-up made you feel like you’d wandered into the local village fete – solitary drum, melodeon, banjo, acoustic guitar – and the huge applause at the end of their set boded pretty well for the rest of the gig.

Cue Left With Pictures, a similar folk four-piece who kicked off standing on chairs in the middle of the room, mic-less and impressively talented. They harmonised through a few catchy songs – crowd favourites included ‘Every Stitch, Every Line’ and ‘Jubile’ (I’m pretty good with the names as I bought their album, a testament to their performance!). A very decent pianist and violinist made up the instrumentals, and there were two lead vocalists taking turns to tell the ol’ English tales which mixed it all up nicely.

By the end of that set The Miserable Rich had quite a hard act to follow. Theirs being the only music I’d actually ever listened to before, it was great to hear them open with a build up of strings that eventually burst into ‘Early Mourning’. This band really do rely on their string section – double bass, cello, mandolin, violin and numerous guitars were all present and correct, complemented by lead singer James de Malplaquet’s crooning and occasional odd props (music box and handbells anyone?).

The Miserable Rich - Twelve Ways To Count

Their 2008 album Twelve Ways To Count, which rightfully made it onto various 'best album' lists last year, provided most of the material, save a few covers – notably one of Iggy Pop’s ‘Shades’. The highlight, however, was ‘The Boat Song’, a ballad written for de Malplaquet’s mother with a heartbreakingly beautiful chorus and memorable lyrics, which silenced the crowd before an eruption of well-deserved applause.

I’m running out of superlatives here, but I’ve got to recommend The Slaughtered Lamb as a perfect gig setting. The ever-increasing crowd, sprawled on cushions and sofas in the lounge-sized room, was a healthy mixture of suited businessmen winding down at the end of the day and hip young’uns enjoying the spectacle. And if the basement acts don’t tempt then there’s always the lovely pub upstairs for a bit of diversion!

Words by Claire Roberts