Beabadoobee brings her masterclass in live rock to Manchester Academy
Beabadoobee (real name Bea Kristi) took the stage at Manchester Academy on Thursday (13th October) as part of her UK Beatopia Tour, in support of her sophomore album of the same name, released in June. When not guitar-bound, she confidently slouched around the stage in her baggy jeans, grinning at fans and delivering impeccable, unwavering vocals. There was little to no production value, Bea instead relying on the sheer strength of her and the band’s sound, and unfaltering power that’s led to her songs holding such a cult following. Eliana on bass exuded charisma and unimaginable coolness (the muse for song ‘She Plays Bass’), and the fans were as thrilled to see her live as they were Bea, thrusting their phones high to immortalise the bandmate.
The set list surprisingly involved less than half of Beatopia songs, which were interpolated with old fan favourites; rock bangers from her album Fake It Flowers (2020) and some from earlier EPs: Space Cadet (2019) and Loveworm (2019). The star’s musical versatility was clear- having only learnt guitar at the age of 17 from YouTube tutorials, her back catalogue is astounding- combining quiet acoustic numbers with grunge-inspired tunes such as ‘Talk’ and live high-point ‘Care’. Having had to wait a year after her debut album’s release to tour it due to the Pandemic, it was clearly a relief for Bea to be touring a more recent project and being able to experience the fan’s newly formed relationships with the Beatopia tracks.
Despite the set list being dominated by older songs, the crowd were hugely receptive and excited by the new album – recent TikTok hit ‘the perfect pair’ and swaying bossa nova number ‘Sunny Day’ were warmly embraced by the fans- endeared by how much Bea loved these subtle numbers and seemed to enjoy performing them, before the encore.
‘I like this part of the show, cause I get to chat a load of shit to you guys’ 22 year old Beabadoobee coos, perched on a stool after performing viral hit ‘Coffee’. The crowd goes wild, the chatting of shit does indeed ensue, and the encore continues.
After acoustic rendition of ‘Ripples’, the encore culminated in ‘Cologne’ – the walloping lead single off last year’s Our Extended Play EP. After mosh pits and beer spillages galore, the lights come up for a cheeky ABBA number, where the crowd couldn’t help but stay and rejoice in the lingering presence of a new kind of rockstar.
This headline tour marks a significant growth in her reach and calibre; headlining Brixton Academy before heading to America to continue the Beatopia shows.
