Welcome to the fairytale world of Holly Humberstone’s London show
The final night of her UK tour, Holly Humberstone’s sold-out show at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire was a dazzling invitation into the theatrical world of her latest project.
Centred around the dichotomy of pain and pleasure when in long-distance love, her second studio album, Cruel World is set to release on April 10th. Cruel World sees Holly’s lucid storytelling expand into a fairy tale universe of her own making - with nostalgia, memory and the monstrous colliding into one - and Holly made sure to translate this into the new, immersive era of her live music.
The London stage was decorated with cardboard daisies, crosses and gravestones, leaning into the project’s Gothic, Tim Burton-esque aesthetic. Silver foil trees lined its edges, with Holly’s name in pride of place on a scroll-like banner between two castle turrets. Marking her first performance in London with a full band in two years, she was joined by drummer Lara, guitarist Jack and Sam on bass and keys - a group who were soon to have the London crowd in the palms of their hands.
But first, Newcastle-based indie riser Heidi Curtis began at 8pm with a stripped-back set, showcasing her powerful vocals and clever lyricism to the crowd. Hollow Heart set a moody tone to match her Stevie Nicks aesthetic with an electric guitar and messy updo. Then the lights turned a deeper blue for Run, a rockier tune that gave way to lots of belting. Mid-song, Heidi asked the crowd how they were doing and was met with cheers, an encouragement that propelled her riffs through the bridge with an obvious confidence.
Though it was clear not many in the crowd knew her lyrics, fans in the pit didn’t let that stop them, dancing along to every beat. "I’ve never played Shepherd’s Bush before,” Heidi confessed. “It’s so beautiful! I’ve been walking around the venue all day in awe of all the posters and buildings. The last couple of days on tour with Holly have been incredible,” she said, giving a shout-out to Holly’s upcoming project.
"When I saw the stage my heart lit up cause this whimsical graveyard fairy tale is such an honour to play in on stage every night." Telling the crowd that her surroundings follow thematically into the next song, Heidi strummed the first chords of Behind the Door. “This is for all the ghosts who roam the doors of this venue, cause there’s quite a few!”
The second track from her debut ep, Behind the Door is a sonic tapestry of indie, folk and rock, all genres that Heidi manages to float through effortlessly both in the studio and on stage.
Giving thanks and appreciation to the audience, Heidi dedicated her next song to Holly’s band, crew and team. “It’s about finding connection through music,” she said as the lights turned purple to match the more tender and emotional vibe of Lost and Found.
Earning a big round of applause from the crowd, Heidi moved on to Siren, a track that wasn’t originally in the set but made it’s return for this latest run of shows. Illuminated by a single spotlight, it was almost as if the crowd held their breath through the song. Lyrically our favourite from her set, the line, “I reach into the broken hollow of your bones” was stunning, and a good reminder of exactly why Heidi was the perfect fit to open the show.
As the crowd filled in, Heidi sung effortlessly through her most recent single, What Am I Missing? as well as Undone, the closing track from her upcoming EP. A fitting conclusion to the set, Heidi blew appreciative kisses to the dancing crowd before heading backstage.
Named this year as one of NME’s ‘Essential Emerging Artists, Heidi Curtis’ name is likely to be one you’ll hear for years to come. Having already earned support slots with contemporaries such as Sam Fender, CMAT, Inhaler and Ben Howard, new fans will be able to see Heidi onstage again next month at The Great Escape, Dauwpop Festival and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Sunderland.
Her debut ep, Hollow Heart is set to release on May 29th, and can be pre-saved here:
After half an hour of drinks, chatter and plenty of merch stand purchases, fog billowed throughout the venue in anticipation for Holly’s arrival, which came right on time at 9pm. Clocks chimed in the darkness, then spotlights flashed across the stage, highlighting Holly’s name. Fans lifted up their phones, cheering as the band headed over to their instruments - and not long after, the main act herself ran to centre stage, met with a roar of excited applause.
Opening with the album’s second number, Make It All Better, violins crescendoed on the backing track as Holly sung the hook: “If you have a bad dream, I want to make it all better.” An already stunning production, live drums really amplified the song and its newfound energy was returned in tenfold by the London crowd.
Making sure to take it all in, Holly walked along the stage, singing to what felt like every person in the room. Wearing a lace bra, Edwardian belt and Victorian silver chatelaine adorned with cherubs, our favourite detail of Holly’s outfit was the red velvet pumps, an obvious nod to a lyric from her song Beauty Pageant; “I click my heels and wish for home.” Though on the stage of the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, it seemed like she’d found exactly that.
Next came To Love Somebody, the current-most popular single from her upcoming album with over 12 million Spotify streams to date. Holly strummed her acoustic guitar as the lights shone amber, an electronic disco ball to her left spinning miniature spotlights across the stage. As expected, the crowd danced hard for this one, waving their arms and singing along to every line, making sure to harmonize with Holly on the last chorus.
The Walls Are Way Too Thin followed soon after, the beloved titular track of her 2021 EP. Hyping up the crowd, Holly had the balcony’s VIP section swaying with drinks in hand, as well as groups of friends holding hands to dance in the pit. “Thanks so much, guys! I’m going to sing you the title track from my new album.”
Her favourite song she’s written so far, Holly transitioned smoothly into Cruel World, the emotional centre of her upcoming record. As the stage faded between pink and purple, the disco ball returned on cue for the line: “Now the lights are getting low, mirror balls and pheromones.”
Wherever fans were watching from in the multi-level venue, it was crystal clear just how much fun Holly and her band were having on stage - especially her guitarist, who was playing like his life depended on it. "Thank you so much for being here and being so patient with me for taking some time out to write my new album. It’s been so fun to be back on stage!” Holly told the crowd before fading into the unreleased song, Blue Dream. Track eleven of her upcoming album, this was an excellent addition to the setlist, blending well with the dreamy aesthetics of Holly’s older music whilst giving the crowd an exclusive glimpse into her newer work.
Leaning further into the plaintive nature of her discography, Holly’s next song was Kissing in Swimming Pools from her debut album, Paint My Bedroom Black. Stood centre stage with her guitar, orange spotlights danced over Holly as the crowd sung the lyrics back to her like a choir. With the second verse’s line, “Call me up and tell me I’m pretty,” the crowd chanted back the affirmation and Holly beamed with joy.
Taking one step further into that feeling of inescapable longing, Holly played Die Happy, an imagery-laden song that’s an absolute must-have on the setlist.
Much like fellow pop artists Griff and Gracie Abrams, Holly seems to have found her niche through wistful love songs with catchy beats, and Die Happy is a shining example of this that had the entire room swaying along. An obvious crowd-favourite from the new era, you could hear Holly’s smile as she sang the lyrics.
Then came Paint My Bedroom Black, a nostalgic indie-pop throw-back that flowed effortlessly into Down Swinging. Jack’s guitar solo had the crowd roaring, and fans at the barrier jumped along to the beat as the stage lit up pink to match the love song vibe.
"Thank you guys so much for being here,” Holly said, taking a pause to connect with the room. “It’s a really special full circle moment for me because I played here a good few years ago at the beginning of my career. It was such a milestone and today feels like a reunion of legends. There are so many people in the crowd tonight who’ve been a part of my journey for so long and whom I love so much. Thank you to my incredible team for helping me make an album I’m obsessed with."
Introducing the next song, Deep End, Holly admitted: “It’s the most personal song to play and the first one I ever released. This is all I ever dreamt about doing. I grew up in the midlands and whilst I loved it, there’s not a whole lot going on there so it was hard for me to see how I could make a career out of music. I remember this one coming out in lockdown and it was so insane and bizarre seeing people connect with my songs for the first time. I love you guys."
In the night’s most visually stunning moment, the lights turned aqua as the overhead disco ball spun rainbows around the venue. The way they marbled on the ceiling made it look like the entire place was underwater - a beautiful vision to match a song about the churning waters of pain and adversity.
Next on the setlist was Beauty Pageant, which Holly introduced as “a song about her relationship with growing up and being a woman in the music industry.” An extremely earnest song, the line "she would die for the applause” was heart-wrenchingly ironic to hear live, and the accompanying piano brought a sweet vulnerability to Holly’s performance. Little white spotlights splayed across the room for the chorus and bridge, and it was clear to see why this song is one of Cruel World’s most-anticipated tracks.
“This is another new one,” Holly said, introducing track six, White Noise. “It’s about crying in the club.” The soft spotlights returned, dappling along the curtain behind Holly as she ad-libbed through the song. “Play a sad song DJ, I just want to sway tonight,” she sang as the entire crowd moved with her, clapping to the chorus.
Leaning into the aesthetic of sad songs to play at the club, Holly moved into Falling Asleep At The Wheel, singing to fans at each side of the stage and pointing her mic to them for the song’s outro, “Come on and wake me up, wake me up.”
Nearing the end of her set, Holly definitely saved the best for last with Drunk Dialling, our personal favourite from the new album. “It’s about calling somebody that you fancy who doesn’t fancy you back when you’re really drunk,” she said. “We’ve all been there!” The live guitar added a lot of depth to the song, and despite it being unreleased, plenty of fans at the barricade knew the words, singing along as the lights flashed purple and red.
"I hope you guys enjoy the album. You’ll see it really really soon,” Holly told the room before strumming the opening chords of Scarlett. An iconic song and definite crowd-pleaser, we weren’t surprised when the room erupted into song. “Let’s go, London!” Holly shouted as her guitarist stepped down to play together. Matching the energy, lots of the balcony stood up to dance and clap for the song’s last chorus. Holly was definitely grateful for the love in the room, smiling up to her friends and family on the balcony who were dancing arguably the most out of everyone.
Before heading offstage, Holly took a moment to show her appreciation for the crowd: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. I’m so lucky to be able to do this and make music with my best friends. Thank you for being here!”
Since, of course, no show is complete without an encore, Holly let the crowd chant her name for a minute before running back onto the stage. The cheering soon quietened as fans waited for Holly to introduce her next song. “This one’s about being a young woman in the modern world and finding it overstimulating and scary,” she said. “We live in the strangest times right now and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s a reminder to anybody who needs to hear it that we’re on the right track and all doing our best.”
Track seven from the new album, Lucy was a beautiful choice for the encore, which traditionally sees more upbeat tracks over slow, sentimental ones. With a captive audience, Holly sung, "To be young and lost in London can weigh heavy on your brain, but blue is just a colour anyway.” There wasn’t a dry eye at the barricade, just Holly with her pianist and a soft blue light for company. Her vocals perfect as always, she raised her hands in the shape of a heart at the end of the song, a gesture lots of fans repeated back to her.
To conclude the night, Holly faded into Dive, a cathartic and fitting end to a show that encompassed everything she’s built as a performer and visual storyteller. From nostalgic classics to exclusive listens, the setlist was as assured as her stage presence, with plenty of room for everyone’s favourites. And a show sold-out by a dedicated fanbase who have grown with her from the start, with this final song, Holly invited fans at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire to dive with her into this exciting new chapter of music.
Holly’s second studio album, Cruel World will release April 10th, and can be pre-saved on Spotify below:
