Rebecca Lucy Taylor has firmly laid down her full throttle pop pastiche. Coming to the end of the A Complicated Woman tour saw a highly energetic and pleasing penultimate night at the Brighton Centre.
Self Esteem live is not just a gig. It’s high art. It’s theatre. There are acts, costume changes, extremely energetic choreography that combines a combination of hand maid tale aesthetic, impressive light shows, use of cinematography and classic school furniture props from the humble stackable chair to the versatile PE balance bench.
Being nearly at the end of her long UK tour, we may have expected somewhat safe, peaked and predictable efforts on display but Self Esteem, her chorus and her band give it all and leave nothing but fun and good energy flowing out into the blustery Brighton seafront night.
Plenty of songs from this year’s A Complicated Woman with the likes of Logic, Bitch!, If Not Now, It’s Soon and Cheers to Me (featuring excellent inflatable wavy arms tube men) being particular highlights alongside some of the greats from her breakout second album Prioritise Pleasure.
There is an excellent moment during the encore when Lucy-Taylor with the utmost sincerity, humour and razor sharp passion thanks the crowds for being here, drops in a couple of side note anecdotes, some meaningful charity pledges and speaks to the odds being set against women of her age and profile in a skewed music industry, before naturally, mid-flow, rolling into the modern day Baz Lurman Everybody’s Free mantra of I Do This All The Time. This moment defines her live shows and who Self Esteem is, what her truth stands for and what she means to her fan base.
Special mention to her chorus/backing singers/dancers who look like they have the best time on stage with real friendship and love on display throughout. Support acts Moonchild Sanelly and Nadine Shah both prop the night up in starkly different ways and both come on stage to perform their tracks with Self Esteem, In Plain Sight and Liesrespectively. The love and respect beaming out between band, support acts and Self Esteem is palpable and obvious and the audience lap It all up culminating with a now traditional conga around the emptying Brighton Centre. Did I get in line? You bet your Shirley Bassey I did.
Brighton got the full Self Esteem experience: sharp humour, visceral honesty, powerful dance pop and a theatrical backdrop that would make Katie Mitchell blush. We partied, but we partied with purpose.
