Turning Six in Style: Talentbanq's Birthday Blowout at St. Martin's in the Fields
Talentbanq celebrated their 6th birthday at the Crypt in St. Martin's in the Fields. Talentbanq is a company specializing solely in securing paid gigs for unsigned independent artists. They have a huge roster of artists covering various styles, and over the years, they have experienced significant growth. Just last year, they reached the £1 million mark in payments to artists, a tremendous achievement.
I arrived at 6:45, and after parking, there was already a queue forming, steadily growing before the doors opened at 7 pm. I made my way to the front, as is customary for Talentbanq gigs. I knew all of the front-row attendees 45 minutes later.
It was time for the first artist, Rachel Croft, who had joined the roster just last year. The room filled up nicely, and Ray came on to express gratitude for everyone's attendance, including his infamous comment, "When this artist plays Madison Square Garden, you're all invited, on me."
Rachel delivered an excellent set, including songs from her upcoming EP, "All We Need Is Time," prompting a fantastic crowd singalong. Rachel's stage presence immediately stood out with her distinctive powerful vocals and willingness to take risks, like playing "This Was Never Love" in a higher key.
Having known Rachel for just over a year, I've seen her play two sold-out shows, including an epic full band performance, which was my highlight of 2023. There's something unique about her—she's one of those artists who can instantly captivate a room. Don't miss her headline gig at Fiddler's Elbow on March 7th.
Ray returned at the end of her set, sharing more about the road to Madison Square Garden, promptly telling the crowd to quiet down as they had been quite loud during the set.
Ray returned to thank some sponsors—Domaine Des Jeanne, 2Excel, Black Deer Live, and The George & Dragon at Seaton. One of them owns a vineyard, and thanks to them, every artist goes home with a bottle of wine. Another sponsor is a private jet company, and, as Ray jokingly mentioned, he's never been on one. Thanks to these sponsors, tickets are only £12.50! Ray walked off with the mic, but had to bring it back before Eddy could start.
Now, on to the second act, Eddy Smith and 507, or for tonight's purposes, Eddy Smith and the Talentbanq All-Star Band. Eddy Smith and his band have just released their debut album, and having watched them for a few years, I've seen them grow massively. In recent years, they played a huge sold-out show to launch the album, showcasing the raw power that grips you instantly. The band is amazingly tight. I've seen Eddy and the band before, playing as the backing band at Buckle and Boots for a few artists. Eddy played two of his own songs to start the set, including "Minnesota," a real blues number. Thankfully, the crowd was slightly quieter.
Now on to the all-star part, with the first up being Alex Francis, a powerful singer-songwriter. He joined Eddy for a cover and brought out the harmonica for an epic song.
Next up, we had the powerhouse vocal talents of Isabella Coulstock. Fresh from supporting The Who and other big names, I've been watching this artist for a long time since she was 16! Having played a sold-out Green Note show last year,
she came on stage for an outstanding cover of "Summer of '69". She possesses outstanding stage presence, looking completely natural up there while rocking her acoustic guitar. It's no wonder she has been supporting huge acts recently.
The third addition to the all-stars was Ed Tatterstall, another powerful male vocalist. I first encountered him supporting Eddy Smith at his album launch last year.
He has a real gravely vocal tone, making him the perfect fitting choice for the song "Tennessee Whisky", with the whole room singing along, a song that draws new people in.
The fourth and final act to join the all-stars on stage was Rachel Croft again, this time with one of the most fitting cover songs she could do, "Black Velvet". It's a song that carries an epic stage presence, and she truly owned it.
Now, back to the stage with all four guests returning – Alex, Ed, Isabella, and Rachel – for "Sweet Home Chicago", a natural song for Eddy and his band given their blues vibe. Each artist took their own vocal section, showcasing their individual talents.
The next cover was the all-stars' rendition of "Proud Mary", another epic vocal performance by all. As if that wasn't enough, they delved into the third all-star cover with "Sweet Home Alabama", Eddy's band pulling it off to perfection. I'm sure I've heard Eddy and the band do this one before.
That concluded the all-star part, or did it? Even before Ray got on stage to say, "Do you want one more?", everyone was chanting "One more, one more." Ray said, "Let's have one more, fucking one more!" Completely unplanned, they pulled off an outstanding cover of "Hit the Road Jack",
a cover and performance by all that was completely unplanned and unprepared. Be sure to check out both Eddy and Ed's headline shows happening in the next two weeks.
Next on stage was Lisa Canny, the headline act. I've seen Lisa perform many times, and her unique style of songs featuring banjo, harp, and guitar at rapid speeds always promises a treat. Ray came on to mention that Lisa was one of the first-ever artists on the roster six years ago. Lisa came off stage and jokingly, yet somewhat seriously, told the crowd to "shut the fuck up." She opened with a showcase of her bare vocal talents, joined by a full band with backing singers.
Now, onto the first banjo number. The speed at which she played it was outstanding. Lisa then switched to the harp for a couple of songs, leading to a humorous tuning moment where the crowd became quiet. Lisa remarked, "Now you're only quiet because I am tuning," and then jokingly added, "I should have just learned the piano instead." Both harp songs were amazing,
showcasing her pure multi-instrumentalist talents. She then picked up the acoustic guitar for a heartfelt number, announcing exciting news – they're off to Nashville next week to record the debut album.
Following that, it was back to the banjo for a song from her other group, Mom and the Rebels, called "Come By Me". She hinted at an encore, jokingly saying it would only happen if the crowd cheered. "I'm joking, I'm coming back on, I've got an encore planned." It was a super speedy banjo dance number to end Lisa's set, with a lovely motion from the people at the front of the stage, honoring her viewership over the years. every video would have there heads in it, Lisa pointed out,
There is no other artist out there like her, infusing Irish county and Gaelic music with a modern twist. I'm really looking forward to her debut album and the next headline show on June 7th.
Ray came back on stage for a quick thank you and goodbye, emphasizing that it's all about the fans that make this happen. It was an epic Talentbanq gig, and the London music scene for independent artists is thriving, thanks to Talentbanq and their roster. Ray's energy on stage, introducing the artists, is humbling, and you can see he genuinely means what he's saying. Here's to another 6 years of Talentbanq and their team supporting those indie artists and ensuring they get fairly paid.
