It was a warm Monday evening in June as we gathered at The Bookshop in East Grinstead to listen to London’s favourite busker, Charlotte Campbell. A book shop is an unlikely venue for a live music gig but with the floor area cleared, John Pye’s quaint English shop was transformed into a lovely friendly and intimate environment perfect for listening to Charlotte perform.
For those of you who are unaware of Charlotte Campbell, she’s a young singer songwriter who is enjoying herself making a living from her music. Having spent a number of years working in all weather on the South Bank honing her skills, busking her own music to Londoners and tourists alike, Charlotte had recently returned from busking around Australia and New Zealand this winter.
The sellout audience consisted of about 30 individuals that spanned a vast age range, and we were treated to a set list that contained a mixture of covers and Charlotte’s own compositions, including those from her recent release “Endless Light”.
Immediately engaging the audience with her truly original songs, Charlotte interspersed the music with tales from behind each composition, including some wonderful insights into her lovely relationship with her mum. For someone with a very delicate speaking voice, Charlotte gave a confident performance of her own distinctive sound that offered a welcome contrast to today’s manufactured artists.
Throughout the evening, Charlotte completely captured the crowd with her down to earth nature and ability to write some original and insightful compositions. During a brief intermission in which the audience gathered outside the shop for ice cream, everyone agreed that Charlotte had a genuinely impressive singing voice and by the end of the evening we were all left wanting more.
STAR RATING
You can find out more about Charlotte on her website www.charlottecampbell.co.uk
And if you are ever passing through East Grinstead, John Pye’s shop is well worth a visit www.eastgrinsteadbookshop.co.uk
Carl Lawrence 
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