LIVE REVIEW: SONG SUFFRAGETTES - VIC ALLEN, NEEVE ZAHRA, MAYA LANE & CHANEL YATES - LIL NASHVILLE - CHISWICK

A first visit to Lil Nashville for #TEAMw21 to see Song Suffragettes relocated to a new venue, and a chance to see two of the artists pencilled in Country Calling 2026, along with one who played in 2025 and one sure to be in the running once her second EP lands. The venue itself is awash with neon and guitars and messages that light up, there's a board with Nashville related photographs and ephemera such as a plane ticket, while a glitter ball spins over the head of the spectators.

Today's bill seems a bit like the Country world put out an "Avengers Assemble" alert, and so Maya Lane has flown in from Berlin via Stansted and the M25, while Neeve has travelled down from Manchester the previous day. They will perform on a stage that seems set alarmingly high, sat atop plastic stools apart from Chanel who more leans against hers and performs standing up. This was a slightly unusual afternoon event with a 13:00 start, however come kick off, all available tables with a view to the stage were occupied.

Vic Allen is our host, having been a Suffragette on both sides of the pond, and gave a breakdown of how things would work but as she was sitting on seat number two, it was Neeve Zahra, dressed in green who opened proceedings. Neeve would confess to not having done too many rounds previous, and whether it was this or vertigo from the height, she didn't look entirely comfortable perched on high, however that in no way prevented giving her new single "Empty Heart" a successful airing. With a relatively quiet guitar style, Neeve's vocal and the melodies of the song came all the more to the fore. Vic Allen looking spectacular in her white waistcoat would go second, with one of her travel based songs. There was an issue with Vic's guitar at first, which seemed to disappear as she strummed the opening verse however on moving to the more expressive playing of the chorus, the guitar all but drowned her vocal out, with the sound person on the afternoon either unable to resolve or seemingly deaf to the obvious disparity. It was disappointing as Vic was clearly giving her all and those seeing her for the first time must have been bemused.

In further sound issues, Maya Lane was then unable to get her guitar to work and made the fateful decision of switching guitars with Vic, potentially transferring the volume problem with it. Fortunately, Maya's guitar style was more subdued and so her song "Bitter" about a friendship breakup was not affected. This was our second sighting of Maya in a few weeks, having seen her supporting Brandy Clark and she once more impressed, with her long blonde hair just resting atop her guitar, Maya's voice was higher pitched than her predecessors, over an urgent but softer strummed guitar - The chorus with its reflective "Seems I'm just a girl you knew" was a great way to open her contributions, and were the last words sung, with Maya beautifully extending the word "knew". It was our first introduction to Chanel Yates live, and she also immediately impressed with her opener "Shotgun Seat". The only artist to perform standing, Chanel stood out in her shorts and bright blonde hair as she detailed a revenge song with its smart quickfire lyrics with more than a little humour thrown in.

"Your talk is cheap, I don't buy it"

Neeve's second contribution was the unreleased "Karma ( Is A Friend Of Mine)" due to appear on her second EP next year. An upbeat country tune with a slightly more measured approach to revenge than Chanels! Vic Allen in one of lifes great travellers and therefore "Suitcase", when it came out during lockdown, seemed all the more powerful. One of Vic's finest tunes built around a delicately picked guitar refrain the line "Wish I could be anywhere, anywhere but here" still resonates strongly years on.

Maya's second "Guys Like You" is a humourous take on being approached by someone who would not stop talking for 90 minutes. With witty lines and an expressive soaring chorus. Keeping things expressive was Chanel Yates with her Christmas song "Cowboy For Christmas", for she was able too say much with a simple glance of her eyes as well as from her lyrics

"Santa, please leave me a gift under the tree

Something I can keep

 Doesn’t have to be good at cooking

Wouldn’t hurt if he’s damn good looking!"

The final round would start with Neeve singing one of the songs that started it all "Love Me" from her debut EP.

Hitting a number of big notes and with a delightfully soaring chorus, especially the final one, it showed why she is such a promising talent. Vic Allen with the unfortunately expressive guitar playing of "Drivethru" was sadly virtually inaudible although her guitar playing was loud and clear. Maya's final song "Heart For A Heart" was her revenge song. It came with a robust chorus and verses that smarter than your average lyric.

"I'm burning all the pictures erasing every trace

Overcome with sickness thinking of your face

I used to love your shadow always being 'round

If you're coming back for closure, something's going down"

The main part of the show would come to a somewhat premature close with Chanel Yates final solo effort "Big Girl Boots" which pulls together a number of strands together to create something new. So elements of being mistreated, shot through the prism of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boot Are Made For Walking" and about finding your inner strength all combined to make a strong lyric attached to a robust guitar style and a great delivery that should go down a treat at Country Calling 2026.

An encore would see all four artists combine on a version of Sabrina Carpenter's "Taste", with Maya having arrived late, it was a little impromptu, but it would not matter too much as with Vic on guitar nearly everyone was drowned out anyway despite clearly giving their all. Personally not sure that dragging in both the artists and audience for only three songs each was particularly fair on either, and the ongoing sound problems would need to be addressed for any future shows. Some of this can be put down to bad luck and teething problems which we maybe could forgive once, but would need to see a smooth running show before we could give a hearty recommendation. The concept of a Saturday afternoon Songwriters Round though remains something that could certainly fly.