Teddy Thompson’s recent album Separate Ways was well received and his appearance at ULU this April is certainly a pleasant surprise for those avid fans. I only recently heard of Teddy but after reviewing his album, I jumped at the chance to see him live, and boy, was I thankful I did.

It's not hard to understand why this English boy moved to New York. Not solely for the purpose of recording ambitions, but also because he has such raw, untapped talent that needs the exposure available to him over there. I am surprised that he's not received much media attention in the UK considering his live performance confirms his talent.

Dressed in a creased black suit and a white top, Teddy is lanky with rough-and-ready hair – a typical English boy-scout he resembles. He launches straight into ‘Shine So Bright’, which has everyone excited with raucous applause and shouting out their love-lorn messages to Teddy on stage. Teddy's voice is astonishingly powerful from the very first note and it’s a joy to see him interact with the audience. He admits to never having been to university and so does his sister, who joins him on stage to perform ‘Down Low’. 

Teddy also takes the opportunity to plug his first album, which is being re-released "at a bargain price". The best performance of the evening is ‘Altered State’, a song with so much energy but also with so much meaning. That's the spirit and nature of Teddy's song-writing – it captures the essence of life in our twenties and early thirties. On stage his performance is breathtaking and a sign he is better appreciated live. I can only urge you to get a ticket to see Teddy for yourself.

(5/5)

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