Rodrigo y Gabriela / Josephine

You probably know the formula all too well by now. - female singer-songwriter with a soulful voice plucking away at her guitar. How many times have we seen that over the past few years? Not enough, Josephine seems to think. Whilst it's undeniable that she has a nice voice, nice doesn't quite cut it.

As discourteous as it is to talk over an act, the audience's reaction is all too telling, with their bored conversations growing louder and louder throughout her 30-minute set. She's not bad at all, she could very well be a big hit with Radio 2 listeners, but there's a spark missing to set her apart from her peers. In a world where the likes of Lianne La Havas already exist, it's going to be very difficult for Josephine to make herself heard.

It goes without saying that Rodrigo y Gabriela have no such problem. The metal obsessive former buskers have been steadily making a name for themselves over the past few years as one of the best live acts around, and it's clear to see why as soon as they hit their first note. Their real charm is that nobody – nobody – plays like they can. To separate the two in terms of talent is a cruel game to play, given the instinctive and intuitive way they play together; both play as though their guitars are extensions of themselves, working their mesmerising and seemingly impossible rhythms with astounding ease. It would however be remiss to not highlight the extraordinary way in which Gabriela plays, rotating her wrist at lightning speed, so her guitar acts simultaneously as a drum. At various points throughout the evening, the screens on the backdrop zoom in to show exactly what she’s doing, but just how she does it remains a mystery.

You could be forgiven for arguing that Rodrigo y Gabriela are playing out one idea as far as they can, because in a way they are, but that's merely a result of their set up. To be able to hold an audience in the palm of their hands with no vocals, no band – just the two of them with their guitars is quite the feat. The set never feels long, with their irresistible melodies, which at times fully showcase their obvious passion for metal, whipping the audience into a frenzy.

If there was one criticism, and it is very slight, it's that the addition of pianist Alex Wilson for a few songs mid-set adds very little to the mix. Sure, he's an obvious talent, but it added little more than a sense of self-indulgence to the evening. Where Rodrigo y Gabriela continue to excel is in their special and unique talent – if a formula is nowhere near broken, there's no need to fix it. If you think you know of a better guitarist than this pair, you've got it very wrong indeed.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.