Live Review | Ariana and The Rose | The Bedford

A short five-minute walk from Balham tube station, The Bedford is a cosy, welcoming venue with lots of talent stepping through its doors every day of the week.

A small but busy pub with lots going on, open to each man and his dog – quite literally.

Upstairs, customers danced the evening away to swing music, while downstairs locals mingled in the main cosy space with candle-lit tables. In a small tucked away room next to the bar was a small stage where I would spend the rest of my evening. The Bedford is prestigious for its music evenings, playing host to many artists in past events including Ed Sheeran, Paolo Nutini and James Morrison.

The Italian-American singer/songwriter Ariana DiLorenzo graced the venue’s small stage with her all-male band, introducing themselves as Ariana and the Rose. With an hour set for us all to listen to, she certainly didn’t disappoint.

Opening her set with Heartbeat, she demonstrated her ability to write and perform a catchy pop song, while easing the audience into the evening with a lively, upbeat track. Think of it as The XX meets Lady Gaga. The upbeat vibe continued as she performed Love Me, Hate Me and a cover of the Eurythmics Sweet Dreams, as the audience were encouraged to let their hair down and sing along with Ariana.

A small crowd of about thirty people squeezed onto tables and chairs in a back room of The Bedford, but no one seemed to mind. Applauding at the end of each song, they seemed to enjoy Ariana’s truly gifted songwriting talent and the intimate gig was a place for her to show off, fill her lungs and flood the room with her incredible vocal range.

As the night went on, she toned the evening down with a few of her slower songs she’d written. These Ruins, Hollow (a personal favourite) and In My Bed yet again demonstrated her true talent, as you listened to the lyrics and appreciated the thoughts that go into her song-writing. I could compare her to artists such as Daughter; – deep lyrics with slow, yet catchy melodies.

She interacted with the audience well, going off stage and squeezing herself through the small gaps between tables and chairs all the while still singing to her heart’s content; even jokingly singing at one point, “Argh, I’m tangled!” as she made her way back to the stage.

There wasn’t much of a stage for Ariana and her Roses to occupy, but they used the space well. Her pianist harmonises with her on various tracks, she interacts with her band demonstrating their lovely friendship, and her Bassist did like to bust out some moves when the music got lively.

The night ended with the track This is Our Youth, another upbeat song as the audience all joined in unison to clap on the beat with their hands mid-air. The audience seemed impressed with the set, and certainly so was I.

After her set, she stayed behind to chat to the locals and sign some EPs. A petite woman with the most adorable American accent, who I’m sure can win the hearts over of many in the industry. She’s very likeable and someone who connects with her audience well; an instant win in my eyes. A down-to-Earth person who loves interacting after her gigs; always smiling and willing to stop and have a conversation.

Not only is she always interactive with fans across social media, but she also does some fashion blogging on the side, and this passion reflects in her stage costume too. My necklace was from Miss Selfridge by the way, Ariana.

Recently coming off tour with The Hoosiers and also supporting Foxes last week at Western-Super-Mare, it’s clear Ariana is getting the breakthrough she needs and her fan-base will surely continue to grow.

My only question for my new lovely, favourite Yankee; – when’s the album out?

Website – arianaandtherose.com
Twitter – @arianatherose
Youtube – youtube.com/arianaandtherose
Facebook – facebook.com/arianaandtherose




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