Lily Allen brought her West End Girl tour to Newcastle on Tuesday night, delivering a masterclass in female rage and captivating an audience at the Utilita Arena.
A Unique Concert Concept
Following a successful run at smaller venues including Newcastle's City Hall, Lily kicked off the latest leg to a packed and enthusiastic crowd. The tour concept is unique: Lily performs her latest album West End Girl in its entirety as a one-woman show on an elaborate set. It is theatrical, bold, and feels oddly intimate despite being in an arena setting.
There have been criticisms of the show being short and not including any of her other hits, but the concept is refreshing. When the show is this good, it is more than enough. The support act, the Dallas Minor Trio, performs classical versions of Lily's big hits, and the crowd is encouraged to sing along karaoke-style by a conductor. This novel and fun concept sets the tour apart and warms up the audience nicely.
The West End Girl Album
The West End Girl album is as sensational as it is salacious, telling the brutally honest story of the dissolution of her marriage to Stranger Things actor David Harbour. Some lyrics are enough to make you blush, but being a woman scorned proved the perfect formula for a fantastic and successful comeback album.
The show opens with the titular song West End Girl, where Lily sets out how the relationship began to fall apart when he allegedly wanted an open marriage. She looked radiant and stepped onto the stage in full 1960s glam. She is sleek, sophisticated, and oozes confidence as she slinks across the stage, effortlessly stripping off and changing costumes while singing. It truly feels like a West End show.
Lily simultaneously delivers an award-worthy acting performance, re-enacting devastating phone calls and text exchanges and having a breakdown while puffing on a vape. Standouts of the setlist include Tennis followed by Madeline, which vividly paint the picture of Lily discovering and confronting the other woman, including transcripts of real messages between the pair.
Iconic Moments
Lily kept all the receipts, literally. She wraps herself in a dress made of a list of items her now ex-husband allegedly bought other women as she performs 4Chan Stan. The most revealing song on the album, P***y Palace, is performed sprawled on a bed with a number of interesting props. It is hard to think of a more iconic song released in the last few years.
The show takes the audience on a journey, with parts being truly raw and vulnerable and others being camp, tongue-in-cheek, and outrageous. Lily gives it her all and delivers an innovative and thoroughly entertaining concert.
Take a bow, West End Girl!
