Regina Spektor: Academy, Birmingham

IT APPEARS REGINA SPEKTOR has finally crossed over from word-of-mouth cult to left-field star, judging by her rapturous reception at a packed Birmingham show on Monday. Almost before she settled at her grand piano, audience members were yelling out marriage proposals and strange sexual propositions. The 29-year-old New Yorker just laughed before launching into her kooky urban sea shanties full of breathy babble and exaggerated glottal stops.