Jessie Ware @ Manchester Cathedral

It's been a particularly good week for my relationship with the church. I've barely stepped inside a religious institute since the days of Sunday school, but the power of Christ compelled me to head to Manchester Cathedral for a particularly special gig.

I pass the cathedral on a regular occasion but had never really thought about visiting until I heard that one of my favourite songstresses, Jessie Ware, was playing the venue for one night of a short European tour to preview her new album. Before I get started, Tough Love is out on 13th October and it sounds just as good as her 2012 album, Devotion.

So, back to the church and a pretty surreal experience. During my time in Sheffield, there was an old dilapidated church near my student digs which I always thought would make for a brilliant club if it were renovated. But to see the pews disappearing and an operational venue opening its doors to a live gig seemed a bit, well, sacrilegious. Even more so when you're buying a can of Red Stripe from a makeshift bar where the collection plates are usually kept.

But, when you think about it, churches are probably one of the most ideal places to have a gig. Yes, the pillars aren't great for sight lines, and the stained glass isn't really designed to withstand modern levels of bass, but the acoustics are unbelievable. The grandiose architecture is a far cry from the sticky walls of a student union and, let's face it, everyone behaves that little bit better because they're in the House of God (ok, there might have been one guy passed out by the ladies').

Plus, when your supporting act is a welcome from the Deacon, you'd have to feel at least a little bit of guilt before dropping an E. So, hats off to Manchester Cathedral for opening its doors and combining two very beautiful aspects of British culture to bring together Spotify and Songs of Praise.

P.S. Speaking of getting people into the church with music, I'll be playing TJ in a production of Sister Act at The Lowry in spring 2015. Expect to hear more over the next few months!