Chappell Roan opened her first UK tour in Manchester with a performance that was both intimate and electrifying, despite her meteoric rise to fame. The 26-year-old, born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, performed at a venue a tenth of the size she could now fill, with £20 tickets reportedly reselling for £1,000. The show underscored her journey from cult appreciation to global phenomenon, following the release of her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess in 2023.
The audience, predominantly young, female, and queer, responded with fervent enthusiasm. Roan’s songs about queer coming of age, sexual awakenings, and romantic frustrations resonated deeply. Highlights included the call-and-response track “Femininomenon” and the ballad “Casual,” which the crowd sang along to unselfconsciously. The TikTok-inspired dance craze for “HOT TO GO!” brought the venue together in sheer elation.
Despite her recent MTV Video Music Awards win and a flashy performance there, the Manchester show was deliberately no-frills. Roan had no visuals, light show, or backdrop. Instead, a three-piece all-female band provided taut, loud backing, allowing her presence and vocals to take centre stage. Drawing from drag culture, she commanded the stage with theatricality and impressive vocal range, particularly on the stripped-back “Coffee.”
The setlist spanned her discography, including the dream-pop of “Red Wine Supernova” and the torch song “Picture You.” The closing number, “Pink Pony Club,” her 2020 coming-of-age anthem, encapsulated the night’s spirit. As Roan sang about belonging on stage, the audience felt the joy of her journey. With her star still rising, future tours will undoubtedly see much larger venues.
