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Jess Plunkett reviews Webb’s small-scale gig and Q&A ahead of her headline show at Leeds O2 Academy in April.
After selling out tickets for her o2 Academy headliner in April, Webb revealed she would be holding an intimate evening where she could connect with her fans by answering audience questions and singing a portion of her new album.
The short set began with a slowed-down version of mine (and Harry Styles’) favourite song of Webb’s, Red Flags. She was accompanied by only a guitarist and keyboard player, allowing her to show off her impressive range of vocals that did not disappoint in a live setting. She then followed with a series of heartfelt ballads and revealed to the audience the sentimental value behind them. The first was Amelia, a song she wrote to herself that she hopes the audience will take wisdom from, with lyrics repeating and reassuring ‘everything is gonna be just fine.’
It’s clear to see Webb has a strong bond with her fans. As she played her penultimate track Last Train To London, the crowd began to hold up signs reading, ‘This Is Home’. The heartfelt gesture drew the intimate crowd into a community. This led perfectly into the next segment of the evening in which the crowd had the opportunity to get to know the artist on a more personal level through a Q&A session.
As her band left the stage, Webb began answering burning questions from the crowd such as, ‘Does Austin Butler Smell Nice?’ (he does).
The first lucky fan was able to ask what the highlight of Webb's career was so far. After her accelerated rise to fame, it’s clear to see why Webb struggled with the question! She confessed that it was hard to choose, but finally releasing this album and being able to perform it now is a surreal experience. She also was sure to mention her performance at the Royal Jubilee, a historic moment she would never forget.
Things seem to only be going up for Webb; she was recently nominated for the category Best New Artist at the Brit awards alongside winners Wet Leg and Eurovision star Sam Ryder. Previous winners of this award have been the likes of Sam Fender and Jorja Smith, so it was no mean feat for Webb to be nominated.
When asked what it was like, she said she was, ‘overwhelmed, but in the best way’. During the event she also was able to meet Artist of the Year winner Harry Styles, who she confessed is her favourite artist. Harry revealed he loved Webb’s recent bop Red Flags (don’t we all?), which was met by screams of support from the crowd.
In response to the question, ‘which song was the most emotional to write?’, Webb was conflicted between Amelia and Last Train to London. It was clear to see the latter meant a lot to her, as she spoke about how most of the lyrics were written during a hard time when she was on the train to London. In the moment, she divulged, she felt the lyrics so strongly, and when she sings the song she is always reminded of that raw, painful moment.
Moving onto brighter topics, Webb also revealed her passion for making music has been with her since she was a child. She spoke about a comical anecdote where she sang on the school tables to her crush, inspired by the iconic scenes in High School Musical.
Finally, Webb spoke about her favourite track to write, which she stated was The Other Side, one of her more upbeat tracks. She chose this as her favourite to write because of the fun story behind the lyrics; recalling the memory with fondness, Webb spoke about how at her 21st birthday party, all her friends were telling her how they knew she didn't want to be with her then-boyfriend anymore. The girls ended their heart-to-heart by cheering to the other side with champagne, which sparked inspiration for the iconic song we now all know and love.
Concluding the show with her most popular single House on fire, Webb was able to display her impressive vocals one last time before she returns to the O2 Academy Leeds in April. The entire crowd was up dancing, singing the lyrics right back to Webb and ending the night on a high.
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Image credit: Image 1 - Jess Plunkett, Image 2 - www.mimiwebb.com
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