Written by @amy.rebbecca
Photography @ameliamayphotos
Playing the 600-capacity venue in Kings Cross (London) on 7th October 2022, Andrew Cushin put his name in the ranks of performers who have played Lafayette. Andrew sits in front of artists including: DYLAN, Bleach Lab and Wunderhorse all with future shows coming up.
Signed to Pete Doherty's label, Strap Originals, Andrew released his EP 'You Don't Belong' earlier this year which included belter tracks 'Catch Me If You Can' and 'Yeah Yeah Yeah', both which made a scene in his London live show.
Arriving at the venue we entered to the voice of support act Harriet Rose who gave an intimate set to the crowd. As people began to stand around the stage it was a calm environment with people flowing to and from the bar. A few drinks down, the second support act arrived. George Hennessy picked up the pace of the venue with his full band and rock n' roll energy, introducing every song he played before finishing with a plug of his socials, "Hennessy, like the whiskey" he remarked which got a laugh from the crowd.
Next lined up to take the stage was Andrew himself. With his fans now warmed up from his support acts, the dead air was filled with a playlist (I'm guessing picked by Andrew) which rolled through Oasis to the Courteeners, whilst the team adjusted the stage to his set. Yes, this definitely included some Newcastle United F.C decor.
Just before 9pm, the band arrived on stage before Andrew joined a few moments later to pick up his guitar and stand at the centre mic to kick off the show. The crowd cheered and clapped as they knew Andrew and his band were ready to make an eruption. The drums started before a collection of chords orchestrated the opening to the first song.
After the first song, Andrew introduced himself along with a couple of funny and witty remarks that continued throughout the show - a loveable trait. After a quick chat he strummed his guitar which lead into 'Yeah Yeah Yeah' and 'Catch Me If You Can'.
Clearly with a lot of connection to his music, Andrew took a few hand stabs to the heart and gripped the mic as he sung the lyrics "hallelujah, catch me if you can". By this point the venue was all eyes on the stage to hear what funny comment Andrew was going to say next.
Like any concert, there is always a moment for a stripped back ballad to pack as many emotions into one evening. Andrew's song 'Memories' did just that as the crowd switched from high energy to a gentle sway to listen to what he had to say with his guitar. '4.5%' was also on the set list which portrayed his fathers drinking problem through a hit of despairing narrative lyricism.
The 22-year-old played a few new tracks for us to hear for the first time, getting a warm reception every time. He then went on to play a couple more full-band tracks including loved song 'Waiting for the Rain'. A few more crowd conversations continued, such as jokingly refusing to sing happy birthday to a fan but instead dedicating a song to them - this got a quick humour remark from everyone. Putting his guitar down he walked off stage.
Returning for the encore, Andrew played his top single 'Where's My Family Gone' produced by none other than Noel Gallagher. The energy was electric for this track and highlighted his rock classicism. As it hit the chorus, the crowd immediately raised their hands and bellowed "I wanna know, what went wrong and I wanna know, where's my family gone". This was a highlight of the show as you could feel the appreciation being received on stage as everyone sung right to Andrew.
After the final song, Andrew bent down to greet everyone at the front, shaking hands, taking photos and receiving praise for his performance. A great way to end a show with a more personal thank you.
October 2022