LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: Brooke Combe @ The Leadmill Sheffield

April 18th 2025

Walking into The Leadmill was like an alternate reality. Having been there for Half Man Half Biscuit and Bob Vylan, I knew it as a grand space sweeping right around the sound desk. However, it seemed different—after speaking to some people who looked just as confused as I was feeling, we concluded a makeshift stage had been erected to produce a smaller area, which makes sense but didn’t half confuzzle my braincell!

Anyway, on to the music—two distinctive artists with styles very different to my usual listening. Brooke is already a staple on my heavy rotation, and Ruby J was someone I was looking forward to hearing what she had to offer.

Ruby J

Ruby J doesn’t do rehearsed. She doesn’t do polished sets, perfectly timed pauses, or meticulously structured songs. Instead, her performance feels more like stepping into an intimate jam session—organic, improvised, and packed with raw emotion.

Her bluesy-country sound comes with a distinctive twang, her vocals powerful and dramatic, leaning into cabaret-level theatrics that are impossible to ignore. There’s an undeniable Amy Winehouse influence in the smoky, neo-soul richness, though the vocal acrobatics weren’t entirely to my taste.

One moment that had me groaning? A cover—because, of course, there was one. Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity,’ an expected singalong moment. And while Ruby J did a good job rallying the crowd, I can’t help but wish emerging artists would ditch hyping up their audience over songs that aren’t their own. Teach them a piece of your music—give them something to hold onto that’s uniquely yours. Covers have no place in music in my opinion, and this moment proved why.

That said, her charm and natural charisma carried the night. Her jazz-infused, soul aesthetic is smooth, and her talent undeniable. I loved the simplicity and sweeping soundscapes she created, the simple vocal and 2 guitar combo worked well but there weren’t enough strong hooks to keep me fully engaged. Then again, while it was nice to try something new this is worlds away from my usual fast and frantic music taste.

Brooke Combe

If there’s one thing that sets Brooke Combe apart, it’s Brooke herself. She is charisma, sincerity, authenticity, humor—all rolled up into a powerhouse performer with the kind of broad Midlothian accent that could charm anyone. The type of artist who’s personality could win you over even if her music wasn’t your thing.

Brooke is another artist who on paper shouldn’t be my vibe but yet is. Or at least, most of it was (there was another cover, and we all know my feelings on those whichever artist it is!). Her genre-blending style—mixing pop, soul, R&B, rock, indie, jazz, and Motown into a flexible soundscape—creates a groove that just begs for movement. Soul is rarely my go-to, but from the first listen of “Dancing on the Edge of the World”, I was hooked, and live, she is even more magnetic.

The crowd was a fascinating mix—people who looked like they lived and breathed soul, others more aligned with my usual heavier sound. A testament to Brooke’s universal appeal. She has the kind of easy stage presence that makes you feel like she’s been your mate for years, chatting away between tracks like she was catching up with old friends.

There was even a bit of juicy gossip—Brooke laying into her stepmum with ‘Leave Me the Fuck Alone’, insisting that while some have told her she shouldn’t be open andtalk about things like this with the crowds, she absolutely would. “My name’s on the drum,” she proclaimed, and that was that. Acoustic, stripped-down, raw—this song is pure therapy for her, and it felt like it.

A ‘Summer Breeze’ cover made an appearance, which was a good cover but still a cover. And yet even older tracks I wasn’t familiar with such as ‘Black is the New Gold’ had me hooked.

Truth be told, Brooke Combe is a tour de force. If she isn’t selling out arenas in the next couple of years, something is seriously wrong with the music industry.

Her voice is a thing of beauty—melting like chocolate, rhythmic and melodic, but with just enough rock-infused bite to keep it from feeling overly smooth.

And the set itself? ‘Miss Me Now’ proved to be a proper alt-rock banger. ‘Butterfly’ was a gorgeously seductive slow jam to close out the main set, her vocals soaring effortlessly above sweeping guitars and subtle synths.

Encore time—which, let’s be honest, I still think are pointless why mess about going off, just play an extra song! ‘Are You With Me?’ at brought the party atmosphere, grounding everything in pure inclusivity and warmth. The night wrapped with ‘The Last Time’, full retro Motown energy, and finally ‘Dancing on the Edge of the World’, the perfect closer.

A cute little extended instrumental outro finished it off nicely with a real sense of jubilation in the air.

Brooke Combe lit up the room with effortless energy and genuine connection. Stunning from start to finish.