With philosophical lyrics and brooding, at times dangerous, production, Thabo strikes as one of the most exciting and unique soul artists around.

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Never before have I left a concert standing in a frenzied queue of people all eager to hug the central musician of the evening. He had invited us to do so, deeply appreciative of the turn-out and the effusive applause.

Born in Zimbabwe and based in Huddersfield, Thabo performed and toured with his band The Real Deal from 2011-2015. After parting ways with his label two years ago, he re-emerged sporting what he describes as ‘lyrically conscious, future focused soul music.‘ As part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, Thabo performed a sold-out show last night at the Hideaway in South London – which continues to set the gold standard for sound, professionalism of staff, and booking brilliant musicians.

After walking to the stage, appearing a little overwhelmed by the packed out venue, he delivered a piano-driven rendition of his most-streamed song ‘Sex Sells’ – immediately foregrounding the socially-conscious focus of his writing. Any initial nerves subsides as he became rapt in his own lyrics of warped values and social dysfunction. ‘Sex sells and crime pays / Get yourself a gun and a pretty lady / I heard that’s what it’s gonna take to make it these days.’

He acknowledged that his style is often deemed ‘gritty soul’, but that he had left the grit backstage for the first set. A wise choice in allowing audience members to focus on his incisive lyrics. The first set was largely Thabo accompanied by his ‘partner in progress’ pianist Aron Kyne – who produced Thabo’s EP Ruffled Feathers. Guitarist Matthew ‘Mafro’ Waters and drummer Steven ‘G-Legend’ Gaman joined the stage for the two last songs.

Philosophical musings and societal reflections are littered throughout his material. Organically and not pretentiously, that is. He followed ‘Sex Sells’ with the gorgeous Marvin Gaye-inspired ballad ‘People of Today’ – perhaps the most conventional soul song of the set. He divulged that ‘Never Let School’ was inspired by the deceptively ‘gangster’ remark of author Mark Twain that ‘I never let my schooling interfere with my education.’ It is the soulful cousin of Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’. ‘You can have your caps and your gowns / I will keep my head in the clouds,’ he sang. He is not only gifted with immaculate pitch but with a refined, oaky timbre. He is as comfortable sinking low as he is floating in his falsetto.

‘We’re going to collect the grit,‘ Thabo announced at the interval. And indeed he did. With his band in full force, the second set’s opening number, ‘Better’, blasted with a hard rock edge. It is a sound often lacking in the soul music landscape. At the song’s release in May 2018, Thabo explained its message: ‘Imagine Mother Nature is assessing her creation and she comes back to Earth to see how we’re getting on…this song is her summary on our progress.’  With heavy and epic production, the song could sit comfortably on the soundtrack of any disaster film blockbuster.

‘Blue Murder’, with a Michael Jackson-inspired hook, was a particular highlight. Fusing hip-hop and rock, it struck as a commentary on vapid contemporary music: ‘As long as the beat’s right you can say whatever you like / And get away with blue murder.’  Guitarist Matthew ‘Mafro’ Waters pulled many a contorted facial expression as he delivered an exhilarating solo. The four musicians rocked out, with Thabo’s dreadlocks swinging wildly.

The Full Band

Thabo – Vocals
Aron Kyne – Keyboards and Piano
Matthew ‘Mafro’ Waters – Guitar
Steven ‘G-Legend’ Gamon – Drums

(Image taken from the Hideaway website).