A quiet triumph: Shura delivers a bewitching performance for her UK live debut in London

With the buzz surrounding the young West Londoner currently at fever pitch, Shura - real name Aleksandra Denton - has been debuting material in Europe over the past week, including a spot on the opening night of the highly revered Pitchfork Festival in Paris. The three shows leading up to the London leg of her self penned 'accidental tour' clearly left her in good stead. Allowing herself to road test the songs before having to play to an ever judgmental London audience – who (in typical hipster fashion) would likely cast her aside for the 'next big thing' if the live show wasn't up to scratch – was a wise move indeed. A shy, humble, yet astute performance was delivered to a hotch potch of friends, industry types and early doors fans who looked on with an expectant gaze and gooey eyed sense of pride. Opening with the slow, downbeat pop of the as yet unreleased 'Kids N Stuff' - a remorseful whisper "I wish I knew it from the start" immediately tugged at the heartstrings of everyone present. Quickly followed by the perfectly formed current single 'Indecision', and sultry new track "Too Late" - featuring what might be Shura's most choice lyric to date ("let's meet halfway. Speak French or sumit") - it was "Just Once" that truly cemented this as a very special moment in the fledgling artist's career. Somehow sounding even more devastating live than it does on record, the ode to drunken nights and abandoned inhibitions is interestingly a perfect bedfellow to Tove Lo’s monster hit 'Habits', with both songs delving into the darker side of heartache. Kill or cure. With the cast of the video to ‘Touch’ in attendance, the debut single was naturally met with the biggest cheer of the night. Not only one of the finest songs of 2014 but perhaps the most on point and 'real' breakup song of recent memory, the live incarnation didn't disappoint. Again, the regret and nostalgia that remains the common thread in Shura's music was amplified ten fold. Every line that fell from her lips was delivered with a quivering pout - conveying an emotional intimacy to the audience and providing a very real, very touching moment for all in attendance. Consistently thanking the audience and showing her gratitude for the support she's been greeted with thus far, before admitting she's been "shitting herself" in anticipation, the short six song set was the perfect live introduction to this incredibly gifted young songwriter. A quiet triumph delivered with unabashed grace. Set list:
'Kids N Stuff'
'Indecision'
'Too Late'
'Just Once'
'Touch'
'White Light'