FAIRY LIGHTS, two accompanying guitarists and a bottle of JD were all that Hatherley needed to impress at Sheffield’s plug last Tuesday.

It was a far cry from ten years ago, when she debuted with indie-rock band Ash infront of 50 000 people. Though she deserved a bigger crowd than the sixty or so that showed, there was definitely a friendly charm to this intimate acoustic set, which marked the sixth leg of her first real solo tour outside London.

Playing alongside friends Charley Stone and Jen Fuse, Hatherley didn’t live up to the ‘moody, girl from Ash’ persona that I expected; instead we saw an exuberant yet confidently relaxed performance from the 28 year-old guitarist.

Standout songs included the infamous Kim Wilde (a song which had led to Hatherley dueting with the lady herself) and then Bastardo, an ode to “a cheeky Spanish boy”, who stole her guitar after a one night stand.

Occasionally good beginnings did slightly lose their way (and the audience’s attention), with songs like Summer providing good background music at best.

But her cover of Simon Dupree’s Kite (one of her all time favourites) and the beautiful What’s The Name Of The Game demonstrated Hatherley’s exciting ability to think outside the textbook-style performance and left the cheering audience positively mesmerized.

Post acoustic set Hatherley invited me to her dressing room to talk touring, tantrums, and why she’s not really a ‘cold rock bitch’…