Joan Armatrading: Me Myself I, Barbican Centre

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Joan Armatrading, that shy girl from the 70s with the afro and the guitar, has stood the test of time. The Brit has since had a 42-year long touring career and a dedicated legion of fans. Her tracks are dated, but affecting (Remember 'Love and Affection' and 'Me Myself I'?) 

She's been nominated for a Grammy Award three times, two times for a Brit Award, and in 1996 she received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection.

Armatrading has a diverse repertoire, foraying into blues, folk, jazz and reggae. In 2007 she released ‘Into the Blues’, an album entirely dedicated to blues music. Her voice is deep, rich: critics reach for adjectives like treacly. She sings with feeling, but also vulnerability. In a 2003 interview she described her songs as ‘always about love, the pain and anguish of it’. Never miserable, her upbeat strumming brings rhythm and energy: the lyrics might be pained, but you can sway along.

With 20 albums under her belt (the latest ‘Starlight’ was released in 2012), Armatrading’s output includes memorable hits such as ‘Love and Affection’, ‘Down to Zero’, ‘Drop the Pilot’, and ‘Me Myself I’. Her performance at the Barbican will include favourites such as these, plus songs spanning from her entire career. This concert could mark the end of an era. Armatrading has announced that though she’ll never retire, this is the last major tour that she’ll undertake.