some of it was true!

Prior to the whirling devilishness of Edward Sharpe last Thursday, I really enjoyed the support set by one Dimbleby & Capper. 

A tap of the keyboard, a swish of the return key and a snap of Google magic later, I can tell you that Dimbleby & Capper is in fact a pseudonym for unsigned 21-year-old Laura Bettinson, the bewitching lead singer I encounted, possessed with untidy short blonde hair, a wisp of a black dress, and a rather sardonic sense of humour.  On stage she seems to be ever-supported by a trio of musicians in Venetian masks (a la Eyes Wide Shut), enabling a fuller sound.

What sort of sound, you ask?  On the most basic level it’s a pop, but with a fusilade of quirks – spicy keyboard melodies, an occasional lashing of 80s power ballads, and a smouldering, slow sassiness.  The songs are seductive, slowly intoxicating the listener after initial apathy, and oddball and a bit experimental, rather like The xx. 

Much as I liked her music, Laura equally wowed me with her courage.  In a murmurous room, plainly populated by Edward Sharpe fans impatient for the main course, she dared to showcase her full range, including a slow-beat, acoustic potboiler, where more or less the only sound was Laura singing soft as a whisper over a recorded sample of (I think) her vocals.  It wasn’t a loud song, and the sound of ignorant, ignoramus Sharpe fans chatting over a pint was clearly audible, but Laura performed it brilliantly. 

I’m not alone in suggesting her talent – a slot on the BBC’s Introducing stage at Glastonbury this year proves as much.  Given that, and her beauty / fashion sense, I’d suggest seeing her soon, as everyone else is bound to catch on one of these days…

Live date:
Thurs 24 September – Smash & Grab at Proud Galleries, Camden (details here)

Dimbleby & Capper on MySpace

MP3: Dimbleby & Capper – Beautiful But Boring (zSHARE)