Annie DiRusso brought her fun, light-hearted lyrics and classic indie-rock vocals to the UK for the first ever time on Sunday evening and made the perfect start to the UK leg of her ‘Back in Town’ tour.
At Gold Sounds Festival, Brudenell Social Club’s annual festival event, DiRusso made her UK debut, sharing with the crowd some of her new album, ‘Super Pedestrian’, which was released at the beginning of March, as well as some of her popular single tracks. Originally from New York, she used her hilarious anecdotes and endearing personality to charm and beguile the audience throughout her performance.
DiRusso performed a stripped-down set with her bassist, Eden Joel, for Brudenell’s main room on Sunday night. The two were the definition of ‘dynamic duo’ – a clear chemistry between them could be seen during each instrumental, as they turned their guitars to face each other, jamming out and laughing like two best friends performing for no one but each other.
The set began with a few of DiRusso’s singles: ‘Nine Months’, ‘Legs’ and ‘Don’t Swerve’, and after her third song, she remarked on how warmed and surprised she was to see so many people in the audience singing along to her lyrics. Although only a percentage of the crowd seemed to already know her music, by the end we were all devoted fans.
Next, the pair played ‘Wearing Pants Again’, which DiRusso described as having a ‘Nashville feel’, which she told the crowd is where she currently lives and is where she wrote her album. Her voice is the epitome of indie-rock perfection, and she had every person in that room smiling and dancing with every angsty, clever song she performed.
Mid-way through the show, DiRusso expressed how much she was enjoying her first UK set so far and told the room that “it’s almost like playing a show in the US — but better — because it’s cool,” instantly winning over everyone in the room.
She then performed ‘Back In Town’ from her album before switching to an electric guitar and playing ‘Good Ass Movie’. Before her final song, ‘Coming Soon’, she told us that this particular song usually comes with a dance, which thankfully – we were blessed with. Her finale was an upbeat kicking of the legs for everyone in the room, all of us quickly learning the moves and having a grand old time.
With her sweet, charming nature and Julia Fox-esque eye makeup, it’s safe to say that Annie DiRusso had everyone there that night smiling and laughing each time she took to the mic. Although it was only a half hour set on a night showcasing other artists at the Festival, the intimate atmosphere created by both venue and artist made the set feel like the full Annie DiRusso show experience, even with only the two of them on stage.
Annie DiRusso’s songs are an ode to rock music, and her new album perfectly encompasses the classic country kick, showcasing the influence living in Nashville has had on her sound.
Photography by Holly Hemingway.
