Beatrix Players at Hoxton Hall, London - live review

Chamber pop trio pull out the stops for rare ensemble performance

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a crowd at a prog gig
(Image: © Katja Ogrin)

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There’s been a real buzz surrounding this all-female trio recently, and tonight the reason for it is revealed: their captivating performance and tremendous stage presence silence the audience from the opening bars of the powerful Rushlight until the close of their set.

The warm sound and beautiful vocals make it hard not to draw comparisons to Tori Amos and Kate Bush, as well as the classical-inspired Mediaeval Baebes and iamthemorning. Every member of the audience is transfixed when Amy Birks hits the high notes in Never Again, and There are further highlights, one being a breathtaking rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ stark ballad Hurt, which the band transform into a warm and powerful feminine anthem. The trio even hark back to their early years with a rendition of Elsa from debut EP Words In Lemon Juice, but their most glorious moment comes when they introduce the Sound Choir onto the stage – their incredible harmonies elevate this wonderful performance, making it a truly spectacular experience.

It’s been magical. If you haven’t seen Beatrix Players live yet, you really must.

Natasha Scharf
Natasha Scharf
Deputy Editor, Prog

Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.