Mia Silvas, dressed all in black, graced the PAS stage for the Platform this week, serenading the audience with a voice like liquid silk. Some ultra-smooth guitaristry from Ryan Haberfield added tempo and depth in the way that only the talented can, and some freakishly good piano playing from Jonny rounded off the impressive performance. Mia played some of her own stuff and some of her friends', as well as a beautiful cover of Umbrella, every one full of a soulful brilliance. Mia is taking some time off soon, she says, to concentrate on writing a new album. It should be good.

Marcus Bonfanti, the gravel-voiced and fantastically skillful blues (and ska, though not on this occasion) artist, is presumably the long-lost brother of the Followill clan, who, as we all pretend to know after having a quick peek at their Wikipedia entry, are also known as Kings Of Leon. Marcus' long black hair and a bushy beard is reminiscent of the Kings' old fashion sense, although his voice is more like Howlin' Wolf or Blind Willie Johnson - or, perhaps more closely, Gomez's Ben Ottewell - in the pure intensity and gruffness, the true, raw, blues vox. Some superbly boogified stomp-box-assisted riffs and incredible breakdowns suck you in totally, as though Marcus' heavy music had made a Blues Hole, a point of such weighty rhythms that not even your attention can escape from it.

Dave Knight


The Platform is part of the Portobello Acoustic Sessions, and is held every Wednesday night from 7:30 at The Metropolitan bar, Westbourne Park.