REVIEW: Songwriters Anonymous

Songwriters Anonymous at Biddle Bros, Lower Clapton Road, on Tuesday March 13 by Rachel Rouse

After a perilous journey through the ghettos of Hackney I was relieved to make it to Biddle Bros. This small, quaint pub looks incongruous among dilapidated hardware stores and off licenses. Once inside, it seems a world away from East London.

Reminiscent of a New York dive bar, Biddle Bros is dark and populated with thirty-somethings. Musicians and their friends sit on low stools and sofas, talking in hushed tones, as acoustic artists strum in the corner.

Songwriters Anonymous takes place on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.

The line-up is an eclectic mix of the great, the bad, and the ugly: highlights this week included the moving lyrics and acoustic reggae sounds of John Blood, and Citizen Helene’s musical bashing of James Taylor.

The comical lyrics of Mark Lisicki’s song ‘Sue Cow’, which avows “Sue cow you better not kick or I will break your leg,” also remain etched in my memory.

The house band, led by Nev Hawkins and with a Britpop influence, provides some light-hearted relief from the generally mellow sets.

The laid-back atmosphere, accompanied by the pleasant, sultry tones of eight acts and generous vodka servings make for a unique, thoroughly entertaining evening. Highly recommended – I’ll be back on March 27.