Cats On Trees LIVE @ Servant Jazz Quarters, London 18.06.14

Rating:

Servant Jazz Quarters is an intimate venue, slightly off the beaten track as associated with the usual hustle and bustle of London town. But without a doubt an awe inspiring place which is no bigger than the average sized front room.

The dark decor and the sophisticated beer on sale set the scene and there was no need for fancy lighting as the candles did the job perfectly. At quarter to nine Cats On Trees came on to play through their 45 minute set and achieve their landmark of playing their first London gig.

The duo, Nina Goem and Yohan Hennequin, created an awe inspiring set with jazzy beats that glistened while their indie-pop roots were affirmed with alluring keys from Nina, who was on the old Joanna. It was short and sweet from this French couplet, who made every attempt to get the crowd involved with a clap along intro, a hello message in French as well as not needing any invitation for an encore.

The 45 minute set included single ‘Sirens Call’ and a Selena Gomaz cover, ‘Love You Like A Love Song’, where the silky voice of Nina grew in stature. Despite those two single-handedly winning me over, Nina then proceeded to play a beautiful cover of Gary Jules’ version of ‘Mad World’, which didn’t include too many changes but the singer’s soulful and ardent voice produced a stirring version. I was left stunned. Tagged as one of the biggest bands in France, what can they do over here I wonder?

Ladies and Gentleman – I give you Cats On Trees.