Stubborn Heart LIVE @ Electrowerkz 3.10.13

All in black Luca Santucci paces across the stage, restlessly rubbing his face and hands together, in what can only be interpreted as nerve induced behaviour. “Excited is not the word” he tells us, smiling at familiar faces in the crowd and saying hi to his Mum before they launch into ‘Starting Block’. Frowning intently, his hands now tightly grasping the microphone, Luca sings out, eyes closed, his vocals pouring over Ben Fitzgerald’s slow reverberating beats.

The venue for tonight’s gig is Elecktrowerkz, tucked away behind Angel tube station, it is like something out of the Futuristic part of the Crystal Maze but with a smaller smoke machine. From the ceiling hangs a sagging balloon, a Christmas decoration and pieces of string, all swaying in the air conditioned breeze. I feel like I am 16 again going to that club that never IDs you as UV lights pick up the occasional t-shirt and bra.

Lava lamp visuals mirror the artwork on their EP and album covers as they play ‘Penetrate’. The enchanting opening track on their self-titled debut album released last year on One Little Indian records. The album received much critical acclaim winning the ‘Album Of The Year’ at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards earlier this year.

‘Better Than This’ receives the biggest cheer of the night. An addictive dubstep track telling bitter realities through soulful vocals. A blue light shines out from the back of the stage turning Stubborn Heart into two dark silhouettes as their music continues to create an almost magical atmosphere.

Throughout Stubborn Heart’s set their music hints at an array of musical influences. From Northern Soul with their cover of ‘It’s Not that Easy’, originally by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, to the sultry electro-pop beats of ‘Need Someone’.

Despite the seemingly anxious behaviour of singer Luca, Stubborn Heart’s performance tonight was gripping. By the end of the set the crowd were hypnotised moving to the music in a trance like state. Stubborn Heart live are quite simply mesmerising.