Sid Batham at Electrowerkz

Sid Batham has been turning heads all year. After dipping his toes in the scene at the beginning of 2013, he submerged himself completely with main stage sets at Lovebox and Wireless festivals. All this has been leading to his first headline gig, in a small, smoked-filled room in the monstrous Electrowerkz nestled in an Islington side street. The room resembles a storage garage, with black walls and sloppily hung cables for lights that look like they’ve come straight from an 80s mobile disco – it’s the stuff of hipster dreams.

Batham plunges straight into a set of musical pick ‘n’ mix featuring funky RnB, pop, a little rock and a lot of soul.  He takes the audience on a rollercoaster of peaks and troughs, pushing his vocal chords from the delicately smooth, pop hooks of The One with the Gun to powerful acrobatics.

A brief blast of All Along the Watchtower shows just how impressive Batham’s voice is. The pounding acoustics at Electrowerkz mean you can literally feel the beat in your teeth, but Batham cuts through with a strength that remains soulful at the heart.

That’s not where the talent ends; he is effortlessly edgy and completely comfortable on the stage, not to mention he also plays the guitar and piano. He demonstrates the latter by accompanying himself for By the Day, putting the funk-driven bassline on hold for a slice of tender sincerity that reaches emotional heights.

Finishing a gig that seems much too short, Batham plays his new single All Lies – a radio-friendly track that still retains some of that East London edge. Surely it’s time for a bigger stage soon.

Sarah Edmonds
Photos: Alejo Garcia

For further information and future events visit Sid Batham’s website here.

Listen to All Lies here: