Vocal talents shine in set

Ben Montague, a singer songwriter from London, was joined on stage by Leddra Chapman at the intimate Red Room in The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, for an evening of good-hearted easy-listening music.

Ben got on stage and immediately introduced his band members and best friends, drummer Jonty Finn and Holley Gray on bass.

He opened the set with Another Hard Fall and we were in for a night of outstanding entertainment.

A few technical issues stopped him performing his last single, Broken, which got A-listed on Radio 2.

As the sound engineer sorted out the crackling wires, Ben gave us a very moving performance of his first single on the keyboard.

Haunted, a song co-written with Jamie Hartman from Ben’s Brother was record of the week on Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 show. Ben improvised with a very good a cappella version of Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy.

The first song from Ben’s album Overcome, Can’t Hold Me Down had an Elton John feel to it and it nearly got people up and dancing.

The second performance of Broken went without a glitch and provided another goose bump moment like so many of Ben’s songs. He sang one more song from the album called Jennifer followed by Together, a collaboration with James Walsh from Starsailor.

Ben finished the set with a new song, Sweet Amelia, before Leddra took to the stage. She has an angelic voice although after the lively set from Ben some of the songs like Wine Glass were a little melancholic.

Leddra’s bubbly personality came through in songs like Tongue Tied and Summer Song but many of her songs were about love and broken hearts. I liked the encore she did with Ben for Broken. Tom Wardle, a local Nottingham singer songwriter provided support — WP.