Regina Spektor proved true to her word during the captivatingly raw two hours which followed. Armed only with her voice, piano and playful girlish charm, the New York songstress both belted out and breathed in lyrics, by turns disarmingly simple and intriguingly abstract. Songs about washing up, love and burying pigeons in playgrounds were treated with equal gravity in a set influenced throughout by her Russian-Jewish roots, while beautifully crafted melodies delivered with a hint of brassy Bronx left the audience in little doubt as to why the Strokes hailed Regina queen of anti-folk. The new single, On The Radio, was a perfect demonstration of Regina’s versatility. In one breath, her voice called to mind Björk, the next Freddie Mercury, the next a hip-hop rhythm. Poor Little Rich Boy saw Regina at her unconventional best, supporting perfect vocals with left hand on the keys, right beating the chair with a drumstick. And Better was, well, better live than on the new album, Begin To Hope, as the richness of her voice and mastery of the piano shone through in this pared-down version. Regina’s stunning vocal range and precise annunciation left the audience hanging on every word of the exquisitely beautiful love song Samson, but it was the majestic Apres Moi that was the set’s explosive highlight, its sombre intro opening into spine-tingling vocals and awesomely dramatic piano. This raw and intimate one-woman show was playful, insightful and technically brilliant. In short, a jewel in the queen’s crown. | 
