LARKIN POE // EVENTIM APOLLO, LONDON
Larkin Poe brought southern charm and rock grit to London’s Eventim Apollo
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
LARKIN POE PERFORMING AT LONDON’S EVENTIM APOLLO
PHOTOCREDIT: MICHAEL HUNDERTMARK
With a wash of southern flurries, sliding guitars and Banjos, Larkin Poe broke the silence with their biggest headline tour show to date. With breezy wintery weather conditions outside, the fans eagerly flocked to see the spectacular of a live show in London with a surprise of a classic cover version of ‘War Pigs’.
Larkin Poe are an American roots rock band led by sisters Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell.
The sisters originated from North Georgia and are based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their early career spanned from producer Joseph “T. Bone” Burnett asking them to record harmonies and instrumentation as part of super group The Basement Tapes, to an iconic Glastonbury performance in 2014, which was hailed ‘the best new discovery’ by the Observer.
At London’s Hammersmith Apollo, Rebecca and Megan brought southern charm and rock grit to the immersive stage featuring a floral stage setup and Americana motifs. The vibe was certainly “Dolly Parton”-esque meets “southern rock thunder”. As the evening progressed, they leaned into the latest album “Bloom”’s warm melodies while on occasions slicing into earlier blues outings of their moody back catalogue. The band’s stage presence, especially when harmonizing face to face, transported the audience to rural Georgia, evoking their Appalachian upbringing. Their impressively slick guitar playing alongside effortless vocal and instrumental work was aided by moody originality, with many songs touching on their troubled family history!
Son Little, an award winning Philadelphian based producer, soon warmed up the audience nicely with his engaging rhythm blues performance. The band is configured as a trio with Bass and keys from DeShawn Alexander and Steve McKie on the drums. His unique sound that blends modern R&B with influences across blues, soul and Hip-Hop built rapport with the audience. In the past he has collaborated with the likes of Mavis Staples, the Rhythm and Gospel singer. An Impressive moody start to the evening which oozed quality.
Before too long, a pre-recorded melody brought on the three band members (the drummer, bassist and keyboardist) before Megan and Rebecca ripped into “Nowhere Fast”, in a rock star fashion. The girls commanded the stage, with Megan slide playing her guitar with a huge smile.
Rebbecca never dropped a beat with earlier outings like “Bleach Blonde Blues”. Which is a huge feat as she only gave birth to her first son back in August.
The mid set was calmer, with a mid-set acoustic “Southern Comfort” piece that brought on the biggest audience cheer. The stunning richness and styles from acoustic performances to some rich long guitar solos made up the full flavour of the evening. The surprise came from a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with his classic “War Pigs” track sounding fresh as ever. Bringing the evening to an unforgettable end with more of the rip roaring and satisfying Blues rock sounds emblematic of their live performances. “Wanted Woman” by AC/DC ,made a satisfying appearance and showed the 15 years of stage experience and numerous raw power shows by the two sisters that will certainly continue to get even better!
REVIEW + PHOTOS BY: MICHAEL HUNDERTMARK