Gabby Young (& Other Animals)
London, England, United Kingdom | INDIE
Music
Press
Tuesday 03/04/07
Gabby Young @ The Troubadour, London
by Huw Jones on 05/04/2007
"...Thankfully salvation arrives with the final performance tonight courtesy of the delectable and instantly likable Gabby Young. Imagine Lilly Allen having a cup of tea with Amy Winehouse and you're almost there. Opening with 'Lazy Lady', seemingly unlimited reserves of energy and a funeral march smile, her voice is simply stunning and breathtakingly powerful and is more than enough to keep the gathered crowd hanging on. Young's confidence is so strong she doesn't stumble or get put off when she experiences sound failure and puts her lack of drum kit down to a conflict of interests between her and a Jewish Festival. It's all good banter and makes for a good atmosphere and crowd participation. As the set progresses her fun loving nature becomes more apparent and songs including 'Umm', 'Maybe' and 'Mole' underline a striking stage presence that would be equally suited to a much larger venue. Energetic and entertaining ("Never have sticky toffee cream before you sing!"), Young happily joins the crowd in becoming caught up in her own intimacy and pulls off a spellbinding performance in the process that easily dominates any of the evenings other acts. " - Huw Jones
"Gabby Young has a fantastic voice. And is all the greater when you learn she has overcome throat cancer. Her backing band: Other Animals compliment Gabby Young's vocals with a range of different styles that compliments Young's varied voice. It is a shame her set is so short. As she leaves the stage you can sense the audience want more as they have been offered an insight into her very real and unique talent."
Tom Blay - TOM BLAY
"It's been a long time since I heard something as truly original as follow act Gabby Young & Other Animals. Infused with jazz undertones and deviating into variations reminiscent of Tori Amos and, at times, Jeff Buckley, Gabby's unique voice lends power to the band's unique brand of alternate rock."
Ellie Cowley , Daily Echo (Poole)
- Ellie Cowley, Daily Echo
"Here we have an artist who probably attracted a very small number down to Kyps, nothing to do with her undoubted talent; purely because very, very few would have heard of her. Gabby Young is genre-nonspecific. A wonderful mixture of jazz, soul, folk and alt-rock, though it is her incredible voice which was immediately apparent. The fact she fits into no particular genre makes her more difficult to market, but talent is talent and with a voice of such range, emotion, passion and warmth, Gabby Young will always appeal to anyone who has decent ears and an open musical mind. Her band – 'And Other Animals' compliment Gabby's diversity perfectly, an improvised drumkit, double bass and trumpet featured, though it was clear that a full set would have brought much more. She is clearly a rare talent, a multi-instrumentalist who has apparently nonchalantly overcome thyroid cancer in her early twenties. Tonight's performance was an all too brief insight into Gabby Young's world, however twenty minutes was easily enough to recognise such beauty."
Tone Foster - www.bhone.co.uk - Tone Foster
Discography
Free Second Memory - EP
Out of Bed - EP
Mole - LP
Ones That Got Away (Gift of the Gab Records, 2010)
Ask You A Question - EP (World Connection, 2011)
We're all in this together - LP (World Connection 2011)
Photos
Bio
Meet Gabby Young, the most entertaining soul on the circus scene. With a live following most independent singers would chop out a lung for, Ms. Young’s effervescent reputation continues to precede her – which conveniently for our beloved belle has calumniated in 15 major UK festival bookings this year...and counting.
With her 8-deep band of merry cohorts - comprising wind, brass and percussion sections, Gabby's exuberant reckless and yell-a-long live shows have hastily whipped up an impressive following both online and offline. With the re-release of her debut album – including bonus tracks and remixes; Gabby now invites you to draw your own conclusions, have a listen to the album and come see what all the fuss is about at her many festival appearances this year. Gabby didn't invent burlesque, Top Hats, Dickensian decadence, circuses or art deco, but what she did do, is grab these and other influences by the delicates, shoved them in a blender, added a healthy dose of unique eccentricity and out popped the most unpredictable and delicious musical smoothie you've ever been party to!
To tred placidly amongst the noise and draw heed to Gabby's unique songwriting ability, this album’s heartfelt lyrics and other-worldly insight would awaken the most derelict of hearts. Whispered fairytale prose intertwines with rambunctious just-for-the-sake-of-it-opulence on this fairground of an album, and offers the listener just a peek in to Gabby Young’s ever-occupied mind.
Gabby's show-stopping vocals have provoked comparisons with everybody from Bjork to Brian Blessed! Yes, the girl can sing. But don’t take our word for it; Gabby was the youngest ever singer invited to join the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Furthermore, when the legendary Al Stewart saw her performing at a bar, he wasted no time in inviting her to support him on his North American tour last year.The title track from the album “We’re all in this together” is released September 6th 2010 with the album released September 13th 2010 in the UK. The European release and tour will follow in 2011.
If you are anywhere near a muddy field with a stage on it this summer, listen out for a swashbuckling burlesque-tinged hoe-down and get yourself amongst it. It’ll be Gabby and Co wailing their hearts out for your sumptuous cider-fuelled delight. You’ll have fun...
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