JADAR

★★★★★

Remember Monday might have received the dreaded null points in the televote at Eurovision this year but the exposure has massively boosted their fan base – and now they’re on the road for a huge UK tour!

The opening act was THERA, an 18-year-old Czech artist who opened for two-time Eurovision winner Loreen earlier this year. She is known for her dark-pop sound, which blends pop, rock, and electronic elements. Her music is highly emotional and could be described as an outlet for processing difficult emotions and navigating toxic situations, with confessional lyrics and an intense vocal delivery. It’s hard to believe she’s only 18 years old. Her performance, like her music, was a mix of fierce and fun. She mostly performed original music, which the audience, who were mostly unfamiliar with, completely absorbed. But she ensured the audience were on her side witb a fantastic cover of Gracie Abrams’ ‘That’s So True’. It would not surprise me if THERA went on to represent the Czech Republic at the ESC one day.

Remember Monday is made up of singers Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, all of whom have experience in musical theatre. I previously saw Holly-Anne as (Alternate) Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera and Lauren Byrne in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella in the West End, over consecutive days.

Whilst their Eurovision song, ‘What the Hell Just Happened?’, received mixed reviews, their strong vocal harmonies were greatly praised. Their varied setlist on tour, which includes both ballads and bops, allows them to show off their versatile voices, as well as their quirky personalities.

The setlist was mostly made up of their singles, which are mostly fun pop tracks, as well as a few covers, such as Alanis Morissette’s ‘Hand in My Pocket’, Jojo’s ‘Too Little Too Late’ (“Has anyone heard of Jojo?” “Not Siwa.”) and a medley of Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Please Please Please’
Chappel Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’.

They also performed a few covers in a lively audience request section (they picked songs that people had written down out of a hat). They ensured a nice variety of covers, with Role Model’s ‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out’, Seal’s ‘Kiss from a Rose’ (they performed their own version, complete with harmonies, which they were not allowed to perform on The Voice), and Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’. The section surprisingly ended with a request to sing one of their own (unreleased) tracks: ‘Don’t Wanna Grow Up’.

They ended this acoustic section with another unreleased song (‘The Page’), which they wrote for Eurovision, as they originally wanted to do a musical theatre ballad.

The encore was, of course, ‘What the Hell Just Happened?’. Whilst it came joint 25th (bottom) in the televote, with zero points, it came 10th in the jury with 88 points, allowing it to place 19th overall. The song divided critics, ESC fans and ordinary people alike. The song boldly blends genres, à la Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and JADE’S ‘Angel of My Dreams’, albeit not as slickly – and this genre blend received a mixed reaction, with some criticising its rapid genre shifts as disjointed and lacking cohesion. Other reviewers praised its energetic fusion of musical styles, lyrics, strong vocal harmonies, and influences from other artists. There is something very musical theatre about it; it totally sounds like it has been lifted out of a fun, pop musical.

Even after a show full of energy, Remember Monday went all out for their signature song, blowing the audience away with their vivacious vocals. The song cannot be easy to sing but the girls made it look effortless.

Remember Monday might not be destined to be chart-topping artists but they aren’t trying to be mainstream. They are refreshingly themselves. Their quirky authenticity, combined with their undeniable talent and ability to write a great pop song, has helped them establish a loyal fan base. But whether you know their music or not, you’ll have a great time at one of their shows and remember it for years to come.

Remember Monday tour the UK until November 7.

Photo: Jay Darcy @JaDar