Once you enter the Queen of Hoxton and descend into the basement, you immediately get the sense that you’re in for a great night. Not only are you greeted by a mixture of UK funky, bassline and garage all selected by the resident DJ, the intimacy of the venue makes you feel just right. The night was buzzing from start to finish. As the audience grew throughout the evening, host Ras Kwame encouraged everyone to make the artists feel a likkle love.

"Leticia clearly had the whole cute thing going on."

The show opened with last week’s open mic winner Leticia, who formed a cheeky rapport with the crowd. The 19 year-old vocalist opened with ‘Brown Eyes’, a song that complemented her soulful, jazzy voice. She followed her intro with a cover of the Michael Jackson classic ‘Billie Jean’, which was fun to sing along to, but ultimately did little to shed light on her skills. Nonetheless, Leticia clearly had the whole cute thing going on. Confidently sporting two different colour shoes, reminded us why we love the quirky UK so much.

Another female artist on the bill was Ruby, who set the tone for her performance with a strong acapella that brought a hush to the room. Her jazzy ways helped to form a sensual vibe with the crowd and even inspired a few cheeky woofs, as she belted out songs like ‘Intimacy’ and ‘Blinkers’. Neither song would have been out of place on a tracklisting for Mariah Carey or Leona Lewis feel, with their classic R&B feel.

The main male act of the night came from the emcees, APM (that’s the Audio Pusher Men, for those that don’t know). They had the whole ghetto- groomed-but-a-little-older thing going on. Stepping on stage with their matching jackets, conviction and cheeky lines in their performance; they put on a good set. The boys fed well off each other in ‘Gyal Dem’, a tune unleashed on the crowd with plenty of energy, as the boys were still in their ‘carnival mood’. Like most of their songs, APM bring that infectious vibe that is easy to do a little jig to.

The open mic session gave contestants 60 seconds to showcase their skills. Talent was of a high standard on the night. Always a popular part of the show, the audience got really involved and the voting became a deadlock between emcee boy group Saf 1 and soul/reggae singer Dionne Reid. The final decision was tough, but after some deliberation Dionne was s awarded the opportunity to open next week’s show.

"True Ingredients are a breath of fresh air."

 The highlight of the show came courtesy of True Ingredients and Cherri V. Both acts delivered polished and professional performances! True ingredients dropped a hip hop set, with a rocky bass track with a touch of jazz. The male rapper had a Travis from Gym Class Heroes’ feel and flow which switched up to Run DMC when he went ‘hard’ (so hard that his glasses broke). The female band member’s soulful, jazzy voice was faultless. Together, with the Plan B-ish rapper, I felt as if I was watching a UK version of the Black Eyed Peas form before my very eyes. True Ingredients are a breath of fresh air. Their sound is unique and their energy complements each member perfectly.

Future diva and headliner Cherri V brought the night to its crescendo. Her raw, emotive voice brought an urgency to her performance as she sung her hit single, ‘Skool Daze’ and ‘Favourite Boy’. The audience were suitably impressed, but it was ‘Silent Lover’, a heartfelt ballad-turned-club-banger, which had the whole room vibing from the first drop. A surprise guest, Baby Blue joined Cherri V on stage to drop bars and bring the night to a fitting close. Good performances and good vibes were experience by all. You can see why everybody loves lLUVLIVE.

WORDS: Kyomi Wade