Nell Mescal’s 'The Closest We’ll Get' Tour made its way into Manchester Academy 3 this past Sunday night, to celebrate her newest EP. The Irish singer-songwriter moved to London in pursuit of her dream after quitting school and has now taken on a multitude of headlining tours, as well as supporting major artists such as Florence + The Machine and HAIM.
Opening up for her tonight were the talented Pixie McCann and Cece Coakley.
With a warm welcome, Pixie made her entrance, greeting fans with a smile. For her set, she built up the layers in her songs through looping different vocals together live, which made for a more immersive and ethereal experience. Her delicate vocals went hand in hand with her vulnerable lyrics, “I’d be anyone for you, it’s embarrassing, god but it’s true”, stood out for its rawness and relatability. The longer her performance went on, the more and more people began to get involved, some even shouting “We love you” as she got ready to leave the stage.
Coming all the way from America for her first time ever in Manchester, Cece Coakley continued this soft and quiet atmosphere. She even commented on how polite and respectful the crowd was as they hung on every word she sang. It was the kind of concert where emotions were subtly being let out, with each song resonating with every person in their individual ways, yet still connecting the crowd together. For Cece, she spoke about how she’d dropped out of school to do music, and ended up writing a song on the floor of her childhood bedroom, wishing that she didn’t live in it anymore. She jokes around with the crowd, announcing to them that she has, in fact, moved out of her parents' house now, which gains her some cheers.
Both artists brought a gentle, indie warmth to the room, setting a tone that matched perfectly with what was to follow from Nell Mescal.
As the crowd waited patiently, mic stands with fairy lights wrapped around them were carried onto the stage, Nell’s band taking their positions behind each one. It wasn’t long until she graced the stage, guitar in hand, ready to play ’Electric Picnic’. Despite her typical “sad girl music” sound, Nell came on stage with a strong presence that commanded attention instantly. Every face in the room lit up, excited to see her. She switched effortlessly between her guitar and a handheld mic, never limiting herself to one spot so that she could deliver a more personal performance. For ‘Killing Time’, she balanced crowd interaction, pointing the mic towards fans when the moment was right, whilst also maintaining the breath and control for those big vocal notes.
A lot of Nell’s music is characterised by its honesty and vulnerability through her lyrics, ‘Thin’ being one that she was hesitant to release at first due to it being solely about herself, not surrounding relationships like she’s more known for. However, fans gave an overwhelmingly positive response to the track that centres around body issues and bullying. It’s stripped-back instrumental pairs well with Nell’s airy and tender voice, which prompted the whole room to fall silent to listen; some fans even stood with tears in their eyes.
Nell had a strong ability to guide the room through all of their feelings, creating an atmosphere that felt heartfelt, drawing everyone in to sing along with her. The stage went dark for ‘Middle Man’ as the sound of a piano and violin rang out across the venue, and a spotlight appeared on Nell. Making for an even more private connection between her and the audience, as she was able to look individuals in the eyes and form a feeling of togetherness.
As we neared the end of the night, Nell braced the crowd that the next lot of songs were “happy”, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fact that her songs usually pull on her listeners' heartstrings. ‘Sweet Relief’ focused on the good side of receiving closure, as you learn to move on and embrace a new chapter, a contrasting topic to the previous themes of toxic relationships.
She’d made one thing very clear throughout the night: that her fans meant the entire world to her. Often stopping to tell them how much in-between songs, her love radiated throughout the room. Even through her performance, it was much more than just singing - she made sure to lean fully into engaging the audience, making them feel valued and heard. So much so that she covered her eyes for the starting line of ‘July’, “I look at you and feel nothing”, because it could not be further from the truth.
Her final song was ‘Homesick’, an uplifting rhythm for the last dance of the night that still retained warmth in its dreamy arrangement. As the final notes faded, she said her goodbyes before disappearing off the stage.
Emma Turner
Images: Emma Turner
If you enjoyed reading this article please consider buying us a coffee. The money from this pot goes towards the ever increasing yearly costs of running and hosting the site, and our "Writer Of The Month" cash prize.