Tzuke Tour Blog...London

If you’ve never been to a gig at Union Chapel in Highbury & Islington then I can only urge you to do so. Like staying out all night or dancing in the rain, seeing a gig at Union Chapel is one of those things you must do before you die. OK, it may be a little quieter than you’d expect but you know what? When you’re in a church that beautiful, you don’t mind. The light in that place is nothing short of magical and just when you really start to believe that the shadows are alive, invariably the end of the gig arrives. And what a sad moment that is.

It’s sad at the most regular of gigs, but when the gig ends with a song like Judie Tzuke’s ‘If’, the house lights drag you back to reality kicking, screaming and as in my case, more than a little tearful. And I wasn’t the only one. Every man in the room was welling up and if they weren’t then they were dead inside. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem of the same name, the song is heart-wrenchingly, achingly beautiful and worthy way to finish what is fast becoming a very special tour.

What’s great about these shows is that everyone on stage can’t stop smiling. There’s a genuine understanding that they are creating something special. Every musician on stage gets their moment of wonderful glory and frankly, Judie just looks chuffed to bits to be there. And the audience are certainly happy that she’s there. Standing ovations aplenty, the audience shouts out requests and conversations ensue. It’s as if we’re all holed up in Judie’s garden having the best time of our lives. And I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure that Judie was dancing.