Penn Badgley tests out Jeff Buckley song at New York gig

Penn Badgley stepped up his preparations to play Jeff Buckley in an upcoming biopic by performing the late star's music at a gig in New York over the weekend (04-05Aug12).

The Gossip Girl star has signed on to play the tragic musician in new movie Greetings from Tim Buckley and he took the stage at the Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to show off his musical skills.

Badgley played guitar and sang three tracks including Lilac Wine - a song covered by Buckley on his 1994 album Grace.

The gig also featured a solo set by The Cribs star Ryan Jarman, marking his first official show without his bandmates.

Badgley's movie about the Hallelujah singer, who drowned in a river in 1997 at the age of 30, is one of several upcoming projects about Buckley - Broadway's Spider-Man Reeve Carney is also starring in a separate biopic.