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After seven months and two rescheduled dates it seemed a curse was forming around Regina Spektor and Sheffield, so it came as no surprise that tonight's audience are a little fidgety as the clock passes the prearranged performance time. So much so that as Regina walks onstage you can almost hear the audience's collective sigh as she meekly begins to sing, with only a microphone for company.
It's in this minute that Regina Spektor shows her immediate raw talent. While current female music is fronted by the Lily Allen's and Joss Stone's of the world, it’s hard to understand how Spektor has gone unnoticed for so long, as her voice shines unaccompanied like no other.
Then as she moves towards the large grand piano filling the majority of the stage and begins to play its Spektor's understated music which makes her unique. As she plays material spanning from her four full length releases she represents the best in female talent. As she hits a drum while playing piano during 'Poor Little Rich Boy' her voice is strong yet subtle as she jokes with the crowd. One pleasant surprise is how relaxed Spektor is as she purposely slows and quickens songs to create a reaction from the audience. Despite holding this concert off for so long, Spektor might actually be enjoying herself tonight, that is until camera phones begin to annoy as she exclaims "Look if I do some action shots now can you stop taking photos? Sorry I get easily distracted," while smiling sweetly through gritted teeth.
For the second half of the set Spektor then takes the more upbeat approach of 'Begin to Hope' as she is joined onstage by her newly acquainted band, so new in fact that they look and sound like they were plucked from the street a mere hour before the show. As Spektor begins 'On the Radio' her voice stands out among the dainty piano melodies creating something truly special, that is until the band enter ruining the song in seconds. The drums manage to drown any trace of a piano and as the thick bass accompanies the song the sound is terrible with the band far louder than needed.
As they continue the set slowly takes a nose dive, that is until Spektor returns to deliver a chilling rendition of 'Us'. This only lasts a few minutes however as she then announces "This is a country song" Oh dear. Suddenly you can forget everything Regina Spektor has performed tonight, the beautiful swooping melodies, the effortless voice, for from now she will be remembered for providing a soundtrack to a piss up in a brewery. During the last two songs it feels like everything she has achieved has been pushed out of the window to make way for two mundane songs, which accompanied by her 'band' sound worse than a performance on the OC.
So maybe its best to try and remember the best moments of Regina Spektor. The early albums that give the raw natural sound of true talent rather than a prolonged gig ruined by a poorly constructed attempt at hitting the mainstream. There is time to recoup however, simply remain quiet, understated and while listening to Soviet Kitsch, relive what made Regina Spektor so beautifully amazing in the first place.
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