Towards the end of last month, we went to a favourite venue of ours Shepherds Bush Empire to see Saint Raymond AKA 20 year old Callum Burrows. The indie-pop, guitar wielding singer-songwriter who is regularly championed by BBC Radio 1 and the like, was brilliant. As an ‘I-know-his-biggest-songs-only’ type fan, I can’t say I was singing along with the rest of the mainly girl audience, but I’ll admit that I definitely was to the songs I did know. Saint Raymond is like a guilty pleasure but without the guilt, as effortlessly catchy pop songs such as Young Blood and I Want You are almost impossible (at least for myself!) to not enjoy and cheesily/badly sing along too.
Although brilliant and supremely talented musically, it can be difficult for solo artists with touring musicians to not be rigid or stale on the stage. Saint Raymond didn’t have this problem, knowing his audience, stage and knowing they were enraptured with his every move. A concert that was more waving arms and mobiles along to indie-pop songs rather than my usual mosh pits and squishing’s against the barrier but nonetheless, an enjoyable and somewhat effortless concert for the indie singer.
Photos by Caroline Quinn
