by Peter Nicholson.
On Friday evening, the stage at The Brook, Southampton, was the brief home for a talented, young, American musician during a brief visit to the UK. I say “home” because the hour-long gig felt more like a gathering of friends than the usual feel of a gig. Gracie Abrams was outstanding.
Gracie took time to chat with her audience, to listen to which songs they wanted her to play, to borrow phones from fans to take selfies, to thank people who’d left her gifts, and, in a first for her, to try a bag of Haribo!! Her natural and relaxed personality shone throughout the show.
The event, a Vinilo Record Store ‘outstore’, tied to the forthcoming release of album “Good Riddance”, was a really personal snapshot of the otherwise busy schedule for this compelling songwriter and performer.
The songs she played had such a personal touch in this intimate environment, that no one at the venue felt short-changed by the relative brevity of the evening, compared to a regular gig. She played material from her new album, including the emotional single “Where do we go now?”. Those who were lucky enough to buy a ticket for this sold-out evening will be unlikely to get the chance of such an up close and personal experience with this rising star.
Gracie’s charm on stage was undeniable, she was totally at ease, and relished the moments when the audience joined in with the songs.
This small tour continues with two more UK shows before Gracie returns to the US for a series of solo dates before joining Taylor Swift for the start of her US tour on April 14th. This will be a busy year for Gracie Abrams!
The tour is to promote her debut album “Good Riddance”, out on February 24th, which Gracie took time to tell the audience about. She explained that she was both proud and nervous to have the album “out in the world”. She told of how it is a deeply personal work, and that she hoped her fans would take the time to hear the whole album and to appreciate the songs in order.
I have little doubt that this album will be the first of many more successes for this talented artist. I also hope she retains the personal touch she showed to all her fans at the Brook.
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