Pearl Charles at The Moth Club

Pearl Charles

John Myrtle

The Moth Club, 5 June 2025

It may have been a drab and rainy English day outside but the glittering Pearl Charles brought plenty of California sunshine to the dingy little Moth Club last night and once again it was pure magic.

When I first arrived at the Moth Club, which I had never been to before, I felt like I was going to an old man's club or a town hall meeting or something, because it felt so old-fashioned and like something from the 60s (very kitchen sink drama in fact) despite being at the heart of the ultra-trendy Hackney. But a lot of pretty cool artists have played here, only recently Miki Berenyi of Lush fame with her new band, IDLES Amyl and the Sniffers, and even Lady Gaga at a secret gig back in 2016 apparently!

The place was pretty empty to begin with but thankfully by the time support act, John Myrtle, took to the stage it began filling up and he had a nice crowd for his set. He arrived through the crowd with a big cheery grin on his face looking very much like he could have been at the aforementioned old working man's club, with his 80s-style jacket and pin-striped trousers. He definitely was very English and the complete opposite to the California glam of the headline act.

Myrtle was very English-sounding too, doing the kind of 70s folk that reminded be of the likes of Ralph McTell or Al Stewart (not as rocky though) and he conjured up, for me, an image of him appearing on Blue Peter or some other BBC show in the misty past, playing some of his more kiddy-friendly songs. 

The first couple of songs were jaunty enough, then he sang a new song called Spider On The Wall, which began with the line "hello it's me, the spider living on your wall."

By this point, I knew it wasn't for me even though there was another song about his dog (The Dog Song) and one called Cyril The Slug which went "I've just moved into your shed, not a bad place to rest my head" which to be fair had a little bit of a Syd Barrett vibe.

Other songs were less memorable but seemed to go down well with the crowd: Remember Holly Park, Ballad Of The Rain and one called Get Her Off My Mind. Throughout, Myrtle was cheerful and seemed happy to be there, which was nice, but I think I was in the mood for some disco glitter and he certainly wasn't that.

I was completely ready for plenty of sparkle by the time Pearl Charles and her band came on stage and they didn't disappoint, particularly Charles who looked spectacular in an American flag tasseled dress, cowboy boots and hat. I know I've said this about her before, but she again reminded me of Emmylou Harris in that hat and that's always a good thing to be compared Queen Emmylou.

They began with the driving beat of Does This Song Sound Familiar? from the new album Desert Queen, and with its echoing guitar and haunting vocals it certainly lived up to the evocative album title and made me think of a desert highway someone with Charles and her band driving in an open top car on some dusty road. She immediately transported us all from the dreary heart of London to somewhere so much more romantic. It was wonderful. 

Next we got the sole song (and title track) from her debut album Sleepless Dreamer, which is always great to hear (one day I hope we will hear more from this fabulous record live), before delving into familiar territory with some of the most beloved tracks from her second album Magic Mirror: Sweet Sunshine Wine (always an absolute joy to hear live), Slipping Away (with its lovely Christine McVie vibes), the beautiful Take Your Time and plaintive Don't Even Feel Life Myself.

It's always impressed me how Charles is able to mix a poppy shimmering disco feel with a more rootsy Americana or country feel, it definitely reminds me of Christine McVie at her 70s best, evoking songs like You Make Loving Fun and of course Abba, but yet completely uniquely herself. And best of all, one minute she is tugging at your heart strings and next you just want to dance.

That is certainly true of her new album too and when she moved onto the new tracks they already felt like old friends as I had heard many of them at her previous live shows in London last year.

She prefaced Just What It Is, by telling us that it's a song about forgiving yourself for things that weren't your fault in your childhood and being able to move on, which certainly made hearing the lyrics "it's not something you did, you were just a kid, it's just what it is," even more powerful. 

In complete contrast Middle Of The Night was funky and feel good, while Birthday (which she introduced by asking if it was anyone's birthday, "well this isn't for you" she laughed" referencing the lyrics "everybody knows it's not your birthday") had a lovely smooth groove with Charles behind the keyboards and Givin' It Up was pure disco fun, I felt like a mirrorball might lower at any minute with its glittering keyboard flourishes, singalong chorus and toe-tapping beat.

City Lights, also from the new record, was equally danceable but had a more slinky feel, really showcasing Charles' gorgeous, clear vocals. It's crazy how how many of these new songs already sound like classics really and it effectively closed out the main set. 

Obviously the crowd called for more and for the encore just Charles and guitarist Michael Rault (also her partner in real life), returned to give us an acoustic version of the sultry, jazzy Smoke In The Limousine. They sound so perfect together and you can really see their chemistry, on this beautiful stripped down version, where Charles stands with no instrument just pouring her heart into the song.

She moves behind the keyboard as the rest of the band return for another slow but poppy groove of the gorgeous Step Too Far, one of the singles from the new record, and ending things, with the complete sparkling joy of Only For Tonight, which had absolutely everyone dancing and singing along. It was an utterly joyful end to the night.

This was another show that was so filled with good feeling, happiness and yes joy, that you couldn't help moving to but that's what Charles and her superb band always do, their spirit is utterly contagious and I don't think anyone left that night without a huge smile on their face.

I know I've said it before but I don't understand how she isn't a huge star, as her new record certainly confirms what a great artist she is and just how strong and catchy her songs are. She really deserves more but I'm more than grateful I get to see her in such intimate venues. For now anyway!