Can't get you out of my head: All We Are / Nick Mulvey, London, 17/10/17

Following my recent promise to get to gigs earlier, I turned up to the Shepherd's Bush Empire at 7:30pm on Tuesday. I'd agreed to see Nick Mulvey with a friend who's a big fan, but didn't know who would be supporting.

All We Are are a trio who formed in Liverpool in the early 2000s. The drummer - Luis Santos - also happens to be my friend's cousin (small world). They produce a dreamy indie pop sound which transfixed the crowd for 30 minutes.

Bassist Guro Gikling was particularly impressive, the way she moved her feet gave the impression she was floating in time to the beat.

From left to right: Luís Santos, Rich O'Flynn, Guro Gikling 

For the final song, 'Dreamer', a guitar and keyboard were added to the mix. The result was a magnificent amount of noise which I hoped would be replicated in Mulvey's performance.

This wasn't the case. In his trademark black beanie hat, Mulvey was the epitome of zen, casually strumming on his guitar. This wasn't in itself a bad thing, but seeing as I spend the majority of my time at sweaty punk gigs, it was certainly a change to usual.

Following the release of his second record, Wake Up Now, Mulvey played a selection of folky songs from both his first and second albums.

Nick Mulvey takes centre stage

Radio-favourites 'Unconditional' and 'Fever To The Form' went down a storm, with the audience singing along word-perfectly. After singing the first verse of 'Cucurucu', Mulvey stopped, smiled, and said he'd like to start again because the response was so beautiful.

With lyrics about peace, childhood, and nature, Mulvey transported the audience to a worry-free world. Gone were the worries about work or news, it was simply impossible to be stressed.

The lighting also added to the experience. As the set drew to a close the stage was completely dark apart from a single horizontal beam of bright light. Looking too intensely at the stage was painful, so you had to fully focus on the music.

My personal highlight was an adorable older lady standing to my right who danced throughout the entire set.

In conclusion, Mulvey captivated the crowd with his guitar and peaceful attitude. Sometimes that's all you need at a concert.