Walking into the warmly lit New Century Hall, a sea of people sat across the wooden floor in small circles as if attending a festival, in anticipation of Alice Phoebe Lou.
The lights dimmed for the support, and we stood from the floor and huddled closer to the stage. Five men, all dressed similarly with the same floppy curly hair, took to a stage bathed in red light. Canadian indie band Loving promptly delved into a set abundant with reverbed guitars. With folk influences and a brief harmonica performance, their music shifted between influences such as Simon & Garfunkel and Mac DeMarco, producing a sound reminiscent of 2010s bedroom pop.
Later, Alice Phoebe Lou walked on stage lit red against the purple background behind her. “Let’s do this thing,” she whispered, before playing the opening track ‘Angel’ of her most recent album, Shelter. The introspective lo-fi vocals rippled out across New Century Hall, as the crowd swayed along with Lou, couples in every corner of the room singing to one another.
The setlist was mostly composed of Lou’s newer material, with older classics making few appearances. But it is only fair that Shelter is honoured in its own right, the production value being standout from the rest of her discography. Of course, nothing can replicate the nostalgia of her earliest work, with 2016 album Orbit making no appearances on the setlist. Lou even acknowledged this lacking, explaining the importance of giving Shelter its own platform.
“Ok, it’s just me and you now,” she whispered as the rest of the band walked off stage. A white spotlight shifted onto Lou. “Sorry I’ve been ill, it’s not my full self up here,” she apologised, met with cheers as the audience reassured her. It was impossible to see Alice Phoebe Lou’s performance as flawed, the whole set being vocally perfect throughout.
Posing the question of ‘Velvet Moon’ or ‘Something Holy’, the crowd shouted out for ‘Something Holy’ as the whirling guitars began. It seemed the crowd was still eager for Lou’s earlier work interspersed between the newest album, an ode to her development as a songwriter and the nostalgia of her first releases.
Alice Phoebe Lou’s music did not usually ignite dancing amongst the crowd, but as the recognisable riff of ‘Witches’ started, Lou’s most played song, the audience was instantly moving. Following up with ‘Dirty Mouth’, this rhythm was only kept up. As if celebrating Lou’s final moments, the crowd continued to dance until the end of the track.
Basking in the final applause, Lou thanked her band, waving her final goodbye and walking off stage. The lights in New Century came up, waking us from the trance Alice Phoebe Lou had created for the past hour or so. To experience the new album in such a special environment added new layers to an already impeccable album.
Whilst some long-time fans may have been disappointed by the lack of her earlier work, the gig was an exemplar of Alice Phoebe Lou’s development as an artist.
