With acts ranging from Oasis to Madeleine Peyroux, the third iTunes Live London Festival, which is at the Roundhouse for all 31 nights of July, is certainly in tune with the digital times. Tickets are free, provided you have jumped through a few online hoops (and been lucky), and recordings of the shows are available for immediate downloading.

At Jack Peñate’s date, a camera on a boom arm roamed above the heads of the fans who were jostling and yelling in front of the stage, giving the event something of the glossy, slightly unreal feel of a made-for-TV gig. But there was nothing unreal about the performance itself. Promoting his second album, Everything Is New, Peñate has come on in leaps and bounds. Actually, that is literally how he came on. Not since Daniel Bedingfield in his prime has a singer put on such an impressive display in the art of dancing like a complete loon. For much of the gig he was also playing an electric guitar. When he took that off the energy level went into overdrive, and during Let’s All Die he showed his commitment to the concept of the lyric by leaping into the crowd.

Along with the speedy showmanship, there was a new musical depth to Peñate’s performance. The 24-year-old South Londoner used to be accompanied by a streamlined trio, but now his band incorporated a horn section and backing vocalists, along with guitarists and keyboard players. Old songs such as Spit at Stars and Second, Minute or Hour sounded reinvigorated, while the new songs were in a different league, both imaginatively and melodically. Give Yourself Away, with its bold, African-style chanting and rhythmic structure, was one of many highlights, while Tonight’s Today harnessed similar musical ingredients to an irresistible dancefloor beat while clouds of smoke swirled dramatically round the musicians.

Called back for an encore, Peñate played two more of the new songs: another bittersweet musing on death, Body Down, and a spiritual love song, Be the One, with a dance beat that left the crowd somewhere between ecstasy and meltdown.

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