Review: Luke Black at Amazing Grace ★★★★
The Serbian singer and songwriter who brought emo performance art to Eurovision, Luke Black wows an already dedicated fanbase at London Bridge’s Amazing Grace.
Luke Black | Amazing Grace | 3 July 2023
Stunning music venue Amazing Grace is packed to the rafters for this free gig from Luke Black, who delivers an atmospheric set to an adoring crowd.
While it’s fair to say that a decent number of those in attendance may not have known much about Black before his performances of ‘Samo mi se spava’ at Eurovision in Liverpool this May, plenty seem to have spent the weeks since delving into his online catalogue. Which is probably for the best, because ‘Samo mi se spava’ gets only a brief, piano-led airing – Black clearly doesn’t see what comes next in his career as a straightforward Eurovision cash in.
Happily, the rest of the set is made up of instantly engaging, innovative art pop which blurs the line between emo and cabaret performance. Theatrical and melodramatic, Black serves Timothee Chalamet meets Kate Bush, with a dash of Gerrard Way, a soupçon of Anohni, and a sprinkle of Edward Scissorhands.
Clearly Luke Black is going somewhere, and there’s an audience waiting for this brand of dark, brooding pop melancholia – we can only hope that the label executives let him plough in his own sorrow when it comes time to release full length album. In the meantime, the singles and EP’s on Spotify should give enough of a taster to keep you hanging on for more.
A word or two on the venue: Amazing Grace is relatively new to the scene, nestled near the base of the Shard in a snazzily repurposed church. We need to return to try the epic-looking food menu, but we’ll also be back for future gigs – this is a excellent new addition to London’s live music scene, easy on the eye (and Insta) and a great balance of intimacy and grandiosity.
Luke Black puts on a gothic fantasy of a show at Amazing Grace – keep an eye on his future releases, and check out this amazing music venue!
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