On Wednesday night I did something that might sound mad. I turned down a press ticket to see Jack Savoretti at the Royal Albert Hall. A proper glamorous arena, red velvet seats, the whole thing. Instead I went to a tiny venue in Chelsea to watch a singer songwriter play to thirty people. That venue was the legendary Troubadour. That singer was Alex Kate. And I have not a single second of regret. Here is why.
From Camden to Chelsea: a real leap forward
I first saw Alex Kate last year in Camden. She was good. Really good. But last night she was something else entirely. Her music has matured beautifully. The songwriting is deeper, richer, more layered. The melodies are still irresistibly catchy, but there is weight behind them now. Echoes of the 1960s. Flashes of 1980s disco. A cool mod vibe running through everything. And yet she sounds completely herself.
Her songs have quietly become part of my regular playlist. That is probably the biggest compliment I can give as a listener. I do not force it. They just sneak in and stay there.
The atmosphere: intimate, electric, and real
The Troubadour is one of those places where music actually breathes. Bob Dylan played there. Jimi Hendrix. Adele. You can feel the history in the walls. Every lyric reaches the back of the room. Every smile from the stage feels personal.
Alex was joined by Natalie Gray, another artist absolutely worth watching. Huge shout out to her. The energy she brought was fantastic. Together they created a fabulous atmosphere. Warm, excited, full of people who genuinely love discovering new music.
I also brought my birthday twin and fine dancer Christiana Boath along. We had a fab night. Lots of cheering. Lots of singing along. Possibly a few tears during the quieter songs. I will not confirm or deny.
The interview and the music
I recently interviewed Alex for London Mums Magazine. She told me she wrote a love song after watching Midsomer Murders. She compared songwriting to Michelangelo chipping away at marble angels. She also admitted she is a matcha girl in a coffee world. You can read the full interview here.
Hearing her live after that conversation was a treat. She played her new single LOVE, written the same week she met her now fiancé. She put his name in the song. That is either very romantic or very brave. Probably both.
She also performed Lost in You, the one inspired by murder mysteries, and Deeper Magic, the one with the ridiculous high note. She nailed it. Every single time.
Why grassroots music matters
Big stars will always fill arenas. They will always sell out the Albert Hall and the O2. But emerging artists need every audience member, every cheer, every person willing to show up and listen. They need us to put down our phones, buy a ticket, and be present.
That is why I chose the Troubadour over the Royal Albert Hall. Not because Jack Savoretti is not wonderful. He is. But because Alex Kate is still climbing. And every cheering person in that room last night helped her take another step up.
If you get a chance to see her live, do not hesitate. She is a future star. And you will want to say you saw her when.
Alex Kate played the Troubadour on 27 May 2026 with special guests Natalie Gray and Mobi1. Keep an eye on her social media for future gigs.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
