Eighteen-year-old Lauren Aquilina used her Saturday job to finance her first EP while she was still at school.

On Wednesday night she played to a crowd of predominantly teenage girls on the fifth date of her sold-out debut UK tour. It was clear the audience had come to adore and sing along.

Aquilina told them not to get too close as she had the flu and apologised for her vocal performance throughout.

Aquilina has a pleasant voice but for someone who has been learning piano since the age of eight, her playing was mediocre. The songs were all anthemic and hard to differentiate.

A percussionist and keyboard player helped provide an over-produced sound that was as cold and empty as the lyrics were bland. Everything had the reverb knob turned up to full and echoed round the room like a big ethereal yawn.

This was X Factor fodder – fake warmth, soulless, the worst kind of pop. But the girls all whooped, and lined up at the end to meet their pop idol. It was 9.15pm.

Editor's note: Tom Locke's original review did make reference to Lauren's illness. This was originally omitted but has now been restored above.