 |
| Photo Credit: Ian Laidlaw |
Written by Aurora Krieger
Having played in front of 14,000 people as a support act for Vance Joy a week earlier, Didirri declares that he was thrilled to return to a more intimate venue, such as The Islington in London, where he has kicked off his Measurements tour in the UK on Thursday, 4th October.
Upon his entry to the stage, the busy room instantly fell quiet. Without introduction, Didirri lets the music
speak for itself, performing a song from his upcoming album. His
youthful, yet slightly raspy voice and soft guitar playing quickly takes over
the venue, setting a warm atmosphere and building anticipation for what is to
come.
In a chatty and
endearingly rambling fashion, Didirri leads the evening by explaining the
motivation, thoughts and feelings embedded in each of his songs. To the delight
of the audience, he reveals some of his worldviews, insights into his family
life, and past experiences with former girlfriends.
Later, Didirri is joined by another guitarist and a bassist, deepening the previously established
organic sound and adding extended guitar solos and ambience to the songs Randy Scouse Git and Bird Songs. Not least because of the
musical communication between each member, the trio seems to reach an almost
meditative state.
Performing Blind You, Didirri masters the transition beautifully between energetic high volumes and quiet passages, artfully carrying
the story of the song – a letter to his ex-girlfriend. In it, he hopes she will
lead a happy life without him, a message difficult to express in the moment of ending
a relationship.
Although
every song is received enthusiastically by the audience, the night’s highlights are the songs Jude and new single I Can't Get Last Night Out Of My Head, which are his most popular
and widely known releases so far due to being featured on Spotify’s Viral 50 UK
Playlist.
Didirri ends the show
with a quiet, soon to be released track. He explains that he wrote this song
after having had a long and honest conversation with his sister over a cup of
tea, feeling relaxed and at home. This atmosphere is evoked clearly in the reverb
heavy number which revolves around a repeating guitar riff.
Didirri leaves the stage to
rapturous applause, and spends time talking to his fans and giving free hugs
afterwards. This punctuates the existing notion of the audience: above all,
Didirri is an open-minded and kind-hearted young artist. He clearly displays his
soul on stage, bringing his songs to life – maybe even more so than he does on
the record.
Over the next few days
he will be showcasing his talents in Manchester, Glasgow and Bristol, before heading
to Europe’s mainland for the rest of October. Hopefully everyone leaving those
venues will have the same cheerful demeanour as his audience this Thursday in
The Islington.