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The glamorous Olivia Dean brought an electric night to a sold-out Manchester’s Albert Hall on the 3rd stop of her ‘Messy’ tour. The 25-year-old singer is currently touring her Mercury Prize-nominated album across the UK.
This was my first time at the Albert Hall in Manchester it’s a smaller venue than many I’ve been to; however, none can compare to the atmosphere and intimacy that this venue creates. The detail in the stained-glass windows and ceiling was beautiful and felt fitting for the night ahead.
Before Dean graced the stage Aby Coulibaly delivered her own uplifting set. The Irish singer fulfilled her task of warming up the crowd through her charisma and her soulful take on R&B. During her song ‘Still’ she had audience members shout the lyrics back to her at the end of each line and even instructed them to grab a nearby stranger to twirl. She left the crowd buzzing with anticipation for Olivia, especially after proclaiming that what we were about to witness was ‘not a gig, but a show’.
The set began with ‘UFO’ the first track from her album, she emerged wearing a beautiful silk gown, along with her seven-piece band. She then moved on to an evident crowd favourite ‘OK Love You Bye’. It became clear throughout the night that Olivia Dean is a star, from her radiant stage presence to her rich vocal range which sounded exactly like her recordings, this was particularly seen during ‘No Man’. Her confidence radiated as her playful dancing spread an infectious joy throughout the crowd.
The show was a mix of songs from her back catalogue but mainly focused on tracks from her latest album containing songs about love life and family. Halfway through the band began to leave the stage until it was just the audience and Olivia, this was where she slowed down the night. She played intimate songs such as ‘Everybody’s Crazy’ about her anxiety, ‘I Could Be A Florist’ and even played a brand new unreleased song ‘Touching Toes’.
Before the end of her set, she injected energy back into the room with her track ‘Ladies Room’ about self-love, which was prolonged with jazzy solos from her band. Dean shared her love of Manchester throughout the show, repeatedly saying that the city ‘knows how to have a good time’ and often reminisced on her last show here where she played in a much smaller venue, Gorilla. Manchester also shared their love of Olivia Dean, at multiple points in the show Dean was visibly overwhelmed by the cheers and applause, especially after playing ‘Reason to Stay’, her first single.
She let the audience in on stories behind each of her songs showing how personal they are to her and her life. She ended the night on her hit ‘Dive’, before jumping into this upbeat song about love she explained that there was no encore tonight.
Dean’s talent shone brightly tonight, from her dazzling stage presence to her powerful vocals. Along with her band, she put on a show that has no doubt left audiences eagerly anticipating her next move.