Tonight Dodie Clarke takes to the stage of The Roundhouse in Camden for her biggest headline show to date.

A single light illuminates dodie as she stands at the back of the stage before radiating energy for the first song Arms Unfolding, dancing around the stage. Next comes out the ukulele for Monster. Her voice is beautiful, tranquil and full of emotion.

Before playing Secret For The Mad dodie addresses the crowd saying “About three years ago I had a mental health like war. I felt like my brain was on fire and I wanted to take it out and put it down and be okay. But I couldn’t do that because my head was attached to my body. Instead I went walking around trying to find something massive that would fix me because it felt like I needed it. Instead I found that it’s the little things in life that all added up to make me feel much better. So when I found that out it felt like I had something to share, so this next song is for anyone else who currently feels like their brain is on fire. I promise you it will be okay.”

It takes a lot to sound so captivating when it’s just an artist and a piano but dodie manages it perfectly, however the live string section is a nice touch. The lighting tonight is particularly beautiful, with hundreds of lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling to the floor of the stage and wrapping around the entire venue.

The set picks up again for You as dodie moves back to the ukulele with a coffee shop music vibe in the background which is adorable, sweet and features a violin solo part way through. It is a particularly beautiful, very peaceful song with stunning purple and blue lighting swirling behind the band.

dodie’s gig at The Roundhouse has been magical. dodie herself is an adorable, quirky character, expressing herself on stage in a very genuine way which reflects in the music as well. Everything about the music is relatable whilst still being unique. The night concludes with a moving encore. One of last songs sounds incredibly upbeat and happy ending the night in a cheery and surreal way.

Photos: Dani Willgress