So, I promised a review of the Matisyahu gig at the Islington Academy. It was a great night all round. I had dinner before the gig with the gorgeous Digital Media Marketing Queen Monique Lester, her beautiful sister Brenda and Brenda’s wonderful, warm and witty Israeli fella Sam. (Or ‘Sim’. Private joke.) We ate Italian, slagged off Islingtonians and discussed button mushrooms. (Another private joke. Last one, I promise.) Oh what fun we had.

Then it was on to the gig for me. Listen, the Islington Academy is a terrible, terrible venue. Seriously. You can hardly move and it’s more or less impossible to get even a semi-decent view of the stage. And it’s in a modern shopping centre – rock ‘n’ roll! On the plus side, there was no queue for the bar. But I’m teetotal nowadays so that was of little consequence to me.

Despite the dodgy surroundings, Matisyahu was fantastic. He’s a charismatic stage presence and has a wonderfully cool, shy smile. He sang tracks from his back catalogue and brilliant new album including One Day, Exaltation, Lord Raise Me Up, Youth, King Without A Crown, and Jerusalem. There is a rough-and-ready video from the night on YouTube.

At times the performance was a bit indulgent, with long periods of dub-reggae improvisation that took the main man out of the picture a bit. He invited another Jewish rapper called Kosha Dillz on for a guest spot at one point and Mr Dillz (I never know how to refer to rappers with odd names!) nearly stole the show with a hilarious, rousing skit.

But Matisyahu was on fantastic form and really connected with the audience, contrary to accounts I’ve read of previous concerts of his. He even stage-dived (thus further undermining Johann Hari’s peculiar attack of 2006). I’d waited so long to see him live, it was great to see him. A sizeable chunk of the audience (mostly the JPs I couldn’t help but notice) left once he had sung Jerusalem (like the opposite of an Israeli boycott) so for the final song of the encore I could both breathe and see the stage clearly. Ooh, I felt ever so spoilt!

It was an enjoyable, enlightening performance. It really was. I even had a small weep during Jerusalem. Come back soon, big man. Just pick a better venue next time. The Forum in Kentish Town is a bit bigger, and much better. Convenient for the JPs, too.

In other news, I’m honoured to have been invited to the Friday night service at the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue and for dinner afterwards with some members of the congregation. Really looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, I’m writing a ‘hot book’. Not my words, the words of The Bookseller. Scroll down towards end of the story.

Finally, a quick word about Leona Lewis. As my friends know I’m an enormous fan of her music and her in general. I really hope she’s okay after yesterday’s attack.