Samm Henshaw at Oslo Hackney

Another week, and another smashing gig at Oslo – this time in the form of London boy Samm Henshaw. The atmosphere in the venue was electric, the incredibly excited crowd losing all memory of the bleak rainy Wednesday that went before; for an upcoming artist to pull an audience of this size and diversity was an impressive feat. The evening kicked off a summer of festivals and tour dates around Europe – for Samm Henshaw, this is surely how it all begins.

Standing confidently in a pool of soft blue light, Samm and the band greeted their rather adoring audience, and cued screaming and cheering that did not stop at any point in the set. The band got straight into the swing of things with powerful and catchy opening number Autonomy (Slave), the crowd allowing their bodies to progressively loosen throughout. Next up were a few tracks from the new EP, Chances, which showcased perfectly clear vocals, whist Our Love brought high-energy gospel-funk that made standing still impossible.

Alongside the obvious talent of Samm, his attitude and performance style are refreshing. His clumsy and babbling laid-back speeches between songs had the audience in stitches – witnessing an individual receive such a degree of support from a room of strangers is extremely rare and completely magical. The highlight of the night was a soft and haunting performance of Night Calls: boldly still and truly stunning. And the rest was a complete ball – somewhere between a festival headline act and a Sunday in church.

The whole evening worked on levels that shouldn’t have been possible, but Samm and his band are pure talent. What a wonderful way to restore faith in the evolution of music. Soulful, mind-blowing perfection.

Lottie Eustace
Photos: Erol Birsen

For further information about Samm Henshaw and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Our Love here: