Starsailor / Bombay Bicycle Club / Portico Quartet / Jeremy Warmsley / Nadeem Leigh

Tonight's show, presented by Last FM, at the absolutely stunning Union Chapel is one in the series of 'hidden gigs' for Crisis, the charity for single homeless people. Crisis have been hosting gigs through May and June in London, with the venues remaining secret until 24 hours before the event. This is to highlight the 'hidden homeless'. The slogan projected onto the screen behind the stage and beautiful stained glass window above is "Find the music expose the truth."

The first three acts perform a few songs each – first up in Nadeem Leigh, a singer and guitarist, who has reportedly experienced homelessness himself. He has been collaborating recently with a collective known as the Brazen Bunch, and a cellist from the Bunch accompanies him, along with a chap on drums, and Jack from Portico Quartet joins them on sax for the last song 'This is Nothing'.

Next up is Jeremy Warmsley, the indie-folk lad who sings clever, introspective songs "about when things go horribly wrong and you think you're gonna die." He explains modestly that his second album was overlooked by critics but was a "f***ing masterpiece" – I'm certain he's not wrong judging by this next track with lyrics like "... if he breaks your heart, I'll break his legs." He also sings a cover of 'That Ole Devil Called Love', made famous by Billie Holliday.

Mercury Music nominees, Portico Quartet, comprise a double bass, sax, drums and a group of what looks like steel flying saucers, an instrument known as Hang. All the material they play tonight is from their new album – it's a short set of atmospheric instrumental songs, with hypnotic cycles of sound building and subsiding, underpinned by the beautiful melodic Hang.

The main support, Bombay Bicycle Club, are essentially a four piece with two guitars, bass and gentle percussion, supplemented by trumpet, and a banjo for one lovely song called 'Ivy and Gold'. They play pretty, folksy tunes with lead vocals that have that fragile, breaking quality akin to Conor Oberst. There is a cover of the cheeky 'Motel Blues' by Loudon Wainwright III and they close with an excellent song called 'You Already Know' featuring trumpet and female backing vocals.

I've not seen the headliner, Starsailor, since an infamous gig at the Astoria back in 2005 when they kept the audience waiting for 45 minutes so that they could watch a football match. Subsequent to that, and with a tricky third album, their popularity seemed to dip but they have since redeemed themselves and been involved with various charitable causes, including, appropriately enough, helping out at football clinics in Africa, and their latest release 'All the Plans' has been hailed as a return to form.

Frontman, James Walsh, starts tonight's acoustic set alone and begins with the next single, the title track from the new album. He gives the performance loads of energy and plays the guitar with passion and obvious enjoyment, exchanging smiles with people at the front. His voice is so distinctive and recognisable but a bit like marmite, people love it or hate it; I love the emotional and soulful delivery.

Walsh plays five songs, a couple from their debut album - my favourite 'Tie Up My Hands' and a jangly 'Lullaby', as well as a cover of a Bruce Springsteen song 'Hungry Heart'. His three bandmates then join him for the rest of the set and the next song is their most popular 'Alcoholic' ("...don't you know you've got your Daddy's eyes, and your Daddy was an alcoholic"). 'Neon Sky', from the new album, is segued with a couple of lines from Kings of Leon's 'Sex is on Fire' "for the under 25s". 'Four to the Floor' gets the audience clapping along and the anthemic 'Good Souls' is a highlight, appropriate for this charity event. They end with a triumphant 'Tell Me It's Not Over' segued with a few lines from Katy Perry's 'Hot N Cold'.

The next 'hidden gig' for Crisis is on Wednesday 17th June with more shows to be announced.

Set List:

All the Plans
Tie Up My Hands
Lullaby
Hungry Heart
The Thames
Alcoholic
Boy in Waiting
Neon Sky
Four to the Floor
Silence is Easy
Good Souls
Tell Me It’s Not Over

FUTURE GIGS