Take Me to the Ceremony - Nadine Shah, The Lower Third 2/11/23

The first time I saw Nadine Shah was in a tent at Latitude 2018. I was then all set to see her later that year before she had to cancel for personal reasons. So, when the announcement came through that she was doing a mini-tour before the release of her new album in February 2024, I jumped at the chance (phone reminder ready to go, hovering on the See Tickets page for the clock to hit 10am...).

Once I finally found the venue (The Lower Third cocktail bar is on Denmark Street but the actual gig space is round the back), I managed to make a gig friend: this never happens. My new pal, a nearly-60-year-old East Anglian punk, and I had a great chat discussing gigs and BBC Radio 6 Music. And obviously, Nadine.

Support came from Eaves Wilder who had a few issues with a misbehaving mic but produced a great stripped-back set. Callum Easter brought some fantastic weirdness with his accordion and biting lyrics.

When Nadine arrived on stage, the atmosphere was electric. It definitely felt like a homecoming for the North East England native. And you could tell she was enjoying every minute on stage. Shah largely played tracks from her previous album 'Kitchen Sink' - one of my all-time favourites. 'Buckfast', 'Ladies for Babies (Goats for Love)' and 'Trad' were personal highlights.

She also performed two tracks from her new album, 'Filthy Underneath', - 'Topless Mother' and 'The Greatest Dancer' - which both signal great things to come.

This really was a great return for Nadine Shah. I cannot wait for the new album - and my new gig friend is now a fully-fledged fan too.

Filthy Underneath is released in February 2024. Nadine Shah's new single 'Topless Mother' is out now.

Photo: Tim Topple