Sometimes the best way to experience music is hearing it stripped back to its bones, in its raw state which the final song we listen to daily stemmed from. That’s exactly what Nell Mescal is doing on her UK acoustic tour, gracing four UK cities with new and old song and allowing them to appreciate her talent for crafting incredible music. She took to the SWG3 Poetry Club in Glasgow at the beginning of April, the perfect intimate venue that was sold out by adoring fans, who were excited to see her back and perform live once again
Eve Christina has been growing a fanbase through supporting different artists as she releases her music, and that was no different at Nell Mescal’s gig. Eve Christina came onto the stage at 7.30pm and gave the crowd a 30 minute set that was the perfect introduction to her pop folk music. Her music was easy to be hooked on as she discussed the theme of her sexuality that’s prominent and a clear influence on her writing, and that influence created honest songs that were hard not to be sucked into. With perfectly constructed bridges, her set was enjoyable and amazing to listen to as she clearly had an existing fanbase in the audience as the crowd sang along.
It was at 8.30pm when the lights dimmed and Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’ faded out as Nell Mescal graced the stage, immediately bringing the crowd into a trance with her ethereal vocals that were hugely impressive live. Her voice is one of the things you can’t stop thinking about after the gig, it has country elements to it whilst still remaining in the indie music genre perfectly. It’s admirable how easily she can bring a crowd into a perfectly crafted ‘bubble’ for the gig, not worrying about anything and focussing on the experience and the present of what was around us
Whilst we can all appreciate the beauty of live music and hearing it in its fullest form after an artist spends weeks perfecting it, there is always something more special about hearing it stripped back in an acoustic set. The songs were almost made to be heard acoustic, it showcased Nell Mescal’s ability as a lyricist and vocalist. Her clear talent seeping through her whole performance which she made look effortless. The clear honest and relatable themes in her songs were given the opportunity to shine through even more as the emotion filled the room. By being open with the crowd about the song’s meanings and how some were genuinely hard for her to write, it’s special to hear an artist admit that to a crowd and makes the connection so much stronger, it creates even more of a link for everyone to relate to what she creates.
Connection was felt throughout the gig, with Nell Mescal saying at one point, ‘we can feel it all together and feel a little lighter when we leave.’ The power of live music is that it unites a room full of strangers and that’s exactly what Nell Mescal managed to achieve perfectly within her gig. Each and every person singing along to her upbeat songs, especially ‘July’ which felt like every person in the room was releasing a grudge and moving on. With ‘Killing Time’ as the room sang the song back to her perfectly, never missing a beat. Yet, the most hard hitting song was ‘Thin’ which is yet to be released but was known by everyone as the emotional and relatable lyrics hit everyone hard in the crowd. Nell Mescal managed to make a simple acoustic set something extraordinary as everyone was living in the moment and enjoying her music that we were all lucky enough to experience live.
Nell Mescal’s live performance was amazing to watch, as she blew everyone away with her incredible vocals that left everyone unable to take their eyes off of her. Her music is powerful and honest, which is what sets her apart from so many artists as she effortlessly forms a connection with the audience and her music as soon as she steps foot on that stage. Being able to experience her music at an intimate gig was amazing and it felt like the perfect way to celebrate her successes and inevitable growth as she’s set to take the stage at Reading and Leeds Festival in summer, and will undoubtedly make it a set to remember.