Sunday night saw music legend Moby giving London a very rare treat; his first ever all-acoustic show. Well, except for an electric bass, to which Moby was open and apologetic, saying: “We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t build a decent acoustic bass.” The beautifully crafted Palace Theatre proved the perfect venue for the sold out show, and although the songs were performed acoustically for the very first time, there was no sign of a struggle, with the band flowing through his back catalogue in a seemingly effortless manner.

To break up the set there was a short Q&A session with journalist Sophie Heawood who, in addition to asking her own questions, also threw in a few from the audience. Moby was as up front and sharp as ever, never one to shy away from any question; revealing that he’s only had four days off in the last six months and giving his blunt view on major record labels, via stating that anyone getting into music in 2009 to get rich has to be an idiot.

It was when the band returned to the stage and started performing the biggest hits of the night that Moby’s statement about why you should get into music became abundantly clear; as the sheer passion of everyone on-stage stunned the audience, who felt it their duty to clap at every available chance. Moby even tried an audacious acoustic version of hit 90s house single ‘Go’, which was spectacularly pulled off.

In addition to a large selection of his own tracks, there were also flawlessly performed covers of Neil Young’s 'Helpless' and Lou Reed’s ‘Take A Walk On The Wild Side’. Like most of the songs, they were accompanied by amusing anecdotes, indeed at one point of the night Moby even apologised for talking so much, but he didn’t need to; it only added to the intimate, warm nature of the show. If only all gigs were conducted in such a way.

However great Moby was, there’s no denying that the performance wouldn’t have been half as good without his entourage; two female vocalists who stunned the onlookers with their sensational voices, a strings section that gave the music a hauntingly emotive feel, with the line-up completed by drums, piano, a steel guitar and said electric bass. ‘Porcelain’, ‘Natural Blues’ and ‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad’ received the biggest applause of the night, but truthfully, every single song was played with such enthusiasm and dedication that there are no standout tracks to praise.

The night was ended with a lively encore of ‘Honey’ and I very much doubt that there was a single dissatisfied seat in the house. It may have been his first attempt at an unplugged show, but let’s hope it’s not his last.

9/10

By Tom Sowerby