After years of being a fan, I finally had a chance to see Kelly Erez live! The singer marked her birthday last Tuesday (28th January – take note!) with a special concert at the West Hampstead Arts Club in North London.

Who is Kelly Erez?

Kelly Erez is a British singer and songwriter, a vocal teacher and a life coach. I’d describe her music as a blend of R&B and neo-soul. Kelly got a lot of traction on YouTube in 2010 with the song “Letters”. She then released her debut album Come to Me and several EPs and singles. My favourites are “Clear My Name”, the dance track “Money Money” and the soothing ballad “Come to Me”. In 2021, Kelly appeared on the BBC music game show I Can See Your Voice.

Kelly live!

She kicked it off with covers of two classic ballads, including “Fly Me to the Moon”. Kelly’s voice is warm and soulful, and sounded crystal-clear, just like on the studio recordings! She handled complex melodies with ease, and there was surely a special aura around her.

Later in the evening, Kelly’s collaborator Lorenzo joined her on guitar and backing vocals for three original songs. “Time Out” was the only one I knew before, although I had secretely hoped for more from her back catalogue.

But I appreciated hearing two tracks that haven’t been released yet. “Stop Comparing Me” was about working through your life journey against your friends’ expectations. “Director’s Cut” dealt with a loss of someone dear, wishing that the life story had taken a different turn.

Kelly closed the show with covers of two iconic 90s hits, “Believe” and “Ironic”, plus Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”, asking everyone to join in. And it couldn’t be a birthday show without a birthday cake!

Young talents

The night was a showcase of Kelly’s talented students, some of whom she’s been mentoring for years. The all-female group joined Kelly onstage for “Valerie” and Adele’s “Someone Like You”. More great covers followed: “All of Me” and “Dancing on My Own” (Anaya Khatwani), “Hallelujah” (Kelly Arekion and her brother on guitar), and “The Wizard and I” (Estelle).

Singer and drummer Alex Valzz duetted with Kelly for “Train Wreck” and plugged his upcoming single “Second Chances” with Adil Diamond. He also gave Kelly a birthday card and flowers which was so sweet.

For many students, this was the first time ever singing in public, and their humbleness was adorable. Though they represented various levels of confidence and vocal abilities, all of them sang from the heart.

Particularly outstanding was the youngest singer, Violet, accompanied by the guitarist Brian Dorman. A mini vocal powerhouse, considering she’s only 11, Violet belted out Lady Gaga’s “Shallow”, rightly collecting a loud applause from the stunned audience. Their original song “The Fear” about challenging your anxieties was also a highlight. I hope it’ll be released officially.

Another self-penned song was the empowering “Women” performed by Zoë. Marie Iwobi turned up with two songs, a ballad and an uptempo track. Towards the end, Kelly’s own vocal coach, Alice Brown, performed as a special guest.

Meeting Kelly

The concert went on for over 3 hours (almost running into my bedtime – haha!), but I did stay until the end to chat with Kelly. She looked so pleased, and a bit surprised, when I asked her to sign my Come to Me CD. She’s very sweet and humble, and enormously talented, and I wish her all the best with her music career!

If you haven’t heard any of her songs yet, I’m leaving you with some recommendations to start with below. Do let me know what you think in the comments, and follow Kelly on streaming platforms!

Check out my other concert reviews.