★★★★★
Remi Wolf first caught the attention of the public a decade ago, when she appeared on American Idol. But it was not until 2020, when her song ‘Photo ID’ went viral on TikTok, that she “made it”. She gained further exposure earlier this year when she toured Europe with Olivia Rodrigo. Sadly, the Manchester dates were cancelled, thanks to that rogue air conditioning unit at Co Op Live. But shortly after Olivia rescheduled her Manchester gigs, Remi graced the city herself with a sold-out gig at the iconic Albert Hall.
Remi’s opening act was Maddie Jay, who plays bass in her band. Maddie is cool; it’s no surprise to learn that she’s friends with Remi. Her music is not particularly catchy, not like Remi’s, but it’s sweet and kinda groovy, making it a good companion for Remi’s set.
The venue was almost packed for Maddie’s set, and she fortunately did a decent job of getting us ready for Remi. Towards the end of her set, she recorded our cheers for a song, playing the cheers back as a form of instrumentation, which was fun (albeit too loud). It was also strategic, for it grabbed the attention – or at least the curiosity – of those who were just counting down the minutes for Remi to come onstage.
Scouting for Girls had done something similar when I reviewed them at this very venue exactly 2 years and 1 day before this gig; it certainly gets the crowd excited but the novelty soon wears off.
Albert Hall gigs are pretty low-key. The venue, a former chapel, is so breathtaking – as both Maddie and Remi pointed out, calling it a “church” – that one does not need much of a production. This is fortunate because it’s a smaller venue, and when a band is onstage, there’s not loads of room for the artist to move around (but Remi utilised every single inch of that stage).
Shygirl – who I reviewed 2 years and 2 days before this gig (yes, the day before SFG!) – did not have a band so she got to do more with the stage: she had a huge mirror on an angle, reflecting the audience back at themselves, which allowed for some amazing lighting and projections.
Remi, instead, had a huge lighting stand, with scores of lights, positioned at the back of the stage – and the lighting was fittingly gorgeous, especially during the second number, ‘Cinderella’. Each bulb could shine with multiple colours at once. It was like a kaleidoscope. There was also some lovely lighting from above, which looked amazing with the lit Christmas tree positioned on the balcony, at the stage left.
A friend and former colleague, who had seen Remi perform last time she was in Manchester – which Remi had forgotten about, telling us that this was her first time performing here! – and told me that she has endless energy. Indeed, Remi danced nonstop for the entire gig, championing body and sex positivity with her rhythmic moves.
She ended some songs with roars and growls, showing off her impressive vocals. During ‘Kangaroo’, she played the drums, which is reminiscent of Lizzo pulling out a flute at her gigs. She rearranged ‘Sexy Villain’, showcasing her creativity and versatility. Later, she improvised a brand-new song, inspired by three words taken from the crowd: ‘Eggs, Baked Beans and Toast’! Seriously – is there anything she can’t do?
She, of course, ended the set with ‘Photo ID’, prompting the crowd to go wild.
The only criticism one could throw at this gig is that, a mere few hours before it started, the set times were updated, with both acts postponed by half an hour. I imagine something important came up that forced the delay but 9:30PM is a bit late for a main set. It meant that the gig did not finish until going on 11PM – and lots of public transport stops at 11 (including both my bus and train). Indeed, I did see some people leave before Remi even sang her signature song, which is unfortunate.
Katie and I called a taxi when Remi begun singing ‘Photo ID’ and left just before the final chorus, and we just made my last train. It was stressful but worth it – getting to see Remi perform ‘Photo ID’ was an incredible experience.
Remi Wolf ends the UK leg of The Big Ideas Tour tonight (December 5 2024) at O2 Academy Brixton and is currently touring the world until May 11 2025.
Photo: Jay Darcy @ JaDar
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