Rhodes at Rough Trade West

Sometimes a man and his guitar are all you need to create magic, and if you only know Rhodes to be a Greek island then all that is about to change.

Rhodes, first name David, from Hitchin has just come off supporting Sam Smith on his European tour and tells the audience “I’m a bit blurry eyed.” Having already supported the likes of Laura Marling and just announced he’s going on tour with London Grammar, you know he is the best of up-and-coming British music.

Playing at Rough Trade West on a wet Saturday afternoon while shoppers perused the store, this was the definition of an intimate gig.

From the moment he started singing you knew that Rhodes is a man of talent. His voice projected so well it was hard to believe he had no microphone on or any other equipment working with him. Track Breathe was breathtakingly delicate.

He engaged with the audience and although he was there to promote his new EP Morning he was personable and thanked the crowd, including the customers just in for a browse.

Having worked with the producer of Daughter and London Grammar, Rhodes knows how to do mesmerising melancholy. His voice can be tender and soft and then it rasps and breaks, which made the performance very raw. It was so stripped back he had to fumble with tuning his guitar between tracks.

When he finished with the title track from new EP Morning the crowd was captivated and even customers were transfixed. Crooning “dedicate my love, place your little hands in mine,” he stole the audience’s heart and brightened up a dreary weekend.

It was magical to see a cosy gig with no production and no fuss, because sometimes less is more.

Samantha Waite

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

Watch the video for Your Soul here: