Live Review: Georgia Fields

The Standard Hotel is full as Georgia Fields takes her place on the very small stage and starts the first of her two sets tonight without any fuss. She doesn't try to fight the significant chatter that is emanating from the diners, instead, she appears to ignore it and wins listeners over with her beautiful voice and keyboard accompaniment.

Fields is assisted on a number of tracks by John Palmer, who adds some lovely, discreet guitar work when Fields herself is not playing guitar. There's even a glockenspiel during a couple of songs and although Fields' ability to move between these instruments isn't seamless, it is refreshing to see a musician not actually adept at such switching. This merely adds to her slightly awkward charm and makes Fields a far more engaging performer than those who are smooth operators, as it is clear that this performance is real. She seems to enjoy herself and not take it too seriously, which also helps, especially during the few times throughout her first set where she falters, for one reason or another.

The highlight has to be Fields' cover of Ginuwine's Pony. She introduces it by stating that she's not sure she should be singing it in such a genteel environment. Things are made even more amusing when Fields divulges the story of how, when she first heard this song as a teenager, she had a far more innocent (mis)understanding of the lyrics. She finally gets underway with a highly enjoyable cover and a couple of her friends in the audience help out with the “sleazy men” backing vocals, much to everyone's amusement. Despite the highlight being a cover version, Fields' own material is a delight and also downright pretty. Her pared-back version of the single Snakes And Ladders is just as enjoyable as the fuller version. Fields and her compositions are perfectly suited to the intimate setting of The Standard Hotel. With meaningful, personable lyrics and some beautiful melodies, you can't help but savour her work.

Fields proves that indie pop tunes do not need to be sung in an affected or little girl fashion in order to be sweet. Furthermore, her down-to-earth performance style could win over even the most cynical of audiences. Fields' performance may not be as polished as many others, but it's warm, endearing and entertaining, and you can't ask for much more than that.