On Wednesday night, I went to a gig to see Andreya Triana again at XOYO. It was the third time I saw her in five months, the first being at Union Chapel in May and the second at St Pancras Old Church in August. Yeah, she’s that good!
Utterly talented, she was just breathtakingly good yet again and Andreya gets better at each gig. It was quite a nice, intimate venue too.
[A side note of accessibility:
In regards to the venue’s accessibility, I would give it a 7.5/10. This is mainly because despite being told the venue was accessible I found out once I got there I had to get up very steep steps that didn’t have a ramp to be able to get access to the lift. So the operations manager and some staff kindly lifted my wheelchair up the steps into the building; which is always is quite challenging with a 195kg power wheelchair. Also, the lift was quite small and old making it difficult to get in or out, but it was manageable.
However, once inside the venue’s main area, it was fully accessible and the staff were excellent and supportive. To my surprise, when I got into the main area it was all open on one level and you could stand right next the stage. This is something that never happens at most venues and as a wheelchair user you either end up sitting in the “wheelchair cage” or at the back of the venue. So I decided to quickly race to sit right in the front of the stage, and raised myself up to be as high as everyone else because thankfully my wheelchair can elevate.
As soon as the gig started, my heart started pounding and was getting excited for what I was about to see. It was absolutely wonderful to be right in the front by the stage with everyone, and everyone around me were so kind (some good people didn’t even let others block my view). I felt SO loved. Euphoria. For the first time in my life, I felt just like all the other gig goers – it was really strange but enjoyable being among the crowd – and I wish more venues were like this.
This accessibility made my night even better and I think I’ll come back to this venue, despite the steps in the front.]
The supporting act, Mirror Signal, was awesome as well. There is real energy to his music/performances and he’ll be one to watch in 2014.
Afterwards, I also met the friendly and nice manager of Union Chapel who was in attendance too. Though, the total highlight of the gig was meeting the lovely Andreya again (who looked stunning in a fabulous outfit and killer matching heels by the way) after the show, as well as two of the three of her cool boys in the band.
Overall, I had a fantastic night, listening to an amazing lady with an incredible voice. I cannot wait for her new album next year and definitely hope to see her again next time she’s in London.
Cheers Andreya!
Photos coming soon, but here’s a quick shot from the gig:
