On Friday, 22nd March, New York-based singer-songwriter Vérité performed at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. Vérité was performing as part of LP’s European tour, which had seen the pair play nineteen shows in the space of a month. The European leg of the Love Lines tour saw Vérité perform in cities including Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Milan, and Brussels; the storied West-London venue was the tour’s final show.
Vérite’s set was a spellbinding sonic journey through her musical career. She began with tracks from her debut album Somewhere In Between and concluded with “I Thought I Was Waiting” and “By Now,” both taken from her most recent release, Love You Forever.
Vérité was accompanied on stage by her long-time live collaborator, Matthew Politoski. At times, her performance was energised and, at others, heartfelt as she worked through her forty-minute set. During her rendition of “Deja-Vu” Vérité’ began by sitting on stage and delivered a moving performance that grew increasingly powerful as the song progressed. New song “Aftertaste” felt like a treat and seamlessly transitioned between tracks from her debut album to her sophomore record New Skin.”
The opening slot of any show can be challenging; fans often arrive early to secure the best spot for the main act and can sometimes be disinterested. However, Vérité was able to swiftly win them over. If she was fatigued from playing so many shows in quick succession, it was not evident, as Vérité assuredly owned the large Apollo stage, visiting each and every corner as she powered through the eleven-song set.
Vérité is an artist making absorbing music with subtly dark undertones that give you more the more time you spend with it. Her show opening for LP provided a mere taste of her sound. I sincerely hope a headline show in London will soon be on the books so audiences here can enjoy the full journey she has taken listeners on over her three albums. Photographer Robert Alleyne was there to capture the show.
Words + photography by Robert Alleyne
