HOLLY HUMBERSTONE – LEEDS O2 ACADEMY – 23/11/22
At the young age of 22, Grantham singer and songwriter Holly Humberstone has already experienced so much. Off the back of her 2020 EP ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel’ Holly has already won the rising star award at the BRITs following in the footsteps of the likes of Adele and Florence + The Machine, as well as tour with Sam Fender who’s exploded onto the scene in the UK, and even make an appearance at Glastonbury earlier this year.
During that slot at Glastonbury you could tell that Holly was truly something special in the making. Her mix of Synth-pop and indie setlist was something tailor made for that festival, and even though she couldn’t have sounded more in place, at the same time her stage presence was filled with stumbling nervousness and anxiety between beautifully executed songs. But who wouldn’t be on such a huge stage being streamed across the country?
Fast forward five months and Holly is now embarking on a huge UK headline tour which has just begun. She walks out to the stage with her name in lights, backed by her band, and ready to treat her fans to her live show again. There is still a hint of shyness as she quietly takes centre stage in the dark to the synth driven ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’ to begin the show on the front foot with one of her stand out tracks from her recent full-length album ‘Can You Afford To Lose me?’, before ‘Vanilla’ continues to warm up the voices of the near sold out Leeds Academy.
Even though her debut album has only just been released, we’re all very familiar with the likes of ‘Please Don’t Leave Just Yet’, ‘Friendly Fire’ and ‘Thursday’ which all featured on her 2020 EP. As you’d expect Holly executed them perfectly and elegantly, in particularly ‘Haunted House’ which sees her take to her keyboard side stage alone for a moving performance.
It’s not just about Holly’s hits however, as tonight is the first time we get to hear some of her new music for the first time too. ‘London Is Lonely’ sounds angelic in the academy, and ‘Sleep Tight’, Holly’s more recent single closes out the set beautifully with its 90’s synth pop vibe, with its uplifting chorus. Written with Matty Healy of The 1975, it’s no surprise it’s an instant success, but If anything it’s a sign of things to come as she continues song writing now her old favourites are finally on a full length album.
The crowd draw her back out for one more song and are rewarded with the uplifting ‘Scarlett’ elevating the show for its conclusive performance. There is still a hint of awkwardness between her songs, but Holly certainly is looking more comfortable on stage, and as far as her performance goes it was never in doubt Holly as ever sounds magnificent as she glides through her thirteen-song set gracefully. It won’t be long before Holly Humberstone is decorated as one of Britain’s new successful artists again if she continues developing her career in the trajectory she has begun it with.
See the full set of live photos of Holly Humberstone in Leeds here!
(PLEASE DO NOT CROP OR EDIT PHOTOS)
Photo Credit: © Danny Peart Photography 2022
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