Intimate, sexy and liberating: Ultrasound Tour Glasgow review
By Erin Grieve
Lorde performing at the Ultrasound World Tour in Glasgow
If you’re someone that loves an immersive, emotional yet euphoric concert experience, a Lorde concert may be the place for you. Her highly-anticipated return to Glasgow for the first time in eight years is a huge deal for fans as she never fails to provide a performance that you’ll replay over and over in your head. If you don’t believe me, watch any concert video of hers and you’ll see what I mean.
Following the release of her fourth studio album Virgin, the New Zealand singer-songwriter announced that she would be embarking on the multi-continental Ultrasound World Tour which stopped off in Glasgow on 19 November at the OVO Hydro. Joining her as support was American music producer Jim-E Stack – the co-writer and producer of Virgin – and British singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya.
Stack’s set included songs from his own albums alongside remixes of other artists’ songs such as ‘Welcome To My Island’ by Caroline Polachek and ‘Frail State Of Mind’ by The 1975, two of Lorde’s close friends. He also played ‘Silver Moon’, an unreleased Lorde song that is adored by her die-hard fans. Could this be her way of teasing a new project? After getting a taste of his experimental electronic sound, I can very much see why she felt so gravitated to work with him.
Jim-E Stack performing at the Ultrasound World Tour in Glasgow
Yanya brought a unique blend of sounds to the stage that certainly got the crowd moving. Her music sounded like the perfect soundtrack for a road trip with friends in the middle of nowhere on a warm summer afternoon. Her onstage band played a range of instruments from keyboard, drums, guitar (acoustic, bass and electric) and even a saxophone that delivered a bit of a jazz vibe. If you’re ever in need of some easy listening, I’d recommend checking her out.
Nilüfer Yanya performing at the Ultrasound World Tour in Glasgow
As soon as the lights dimmed to blue, the room instantly knew that Lorde was about to appear. The show was jam-packed with symbolism such as her walking on a treadmill to represent a relationship going nowhere, her dancer eating an apple as a reference to her struggles with an eating disorder and of course her now iconic duct tape bra that first made an appearance in the ‘Man Of The Year’ music video. Despite the theatrics, she still made an effort to pause and be present with the crowd of 14,300 people. It’s clear that every single detail from the meaningful performances down to the hand-drawn confetti was meticulously planned.
The setlist was an exquisitely-crafted mix of new songs, old songs, her biggest hits and fandom favourites. She surprised long-time fans by playing her song ‘400 Lux’ from her Grammy-nominated first album Pure Heroine. Her heart-wrenchingly-relatable lyricism and sad upbeat sound throughout had the energy levels soaring through the roof. Whether you knew one song or every song didn’t matter and I don’t think there was a single moment where anyone wasn’t singing or dancing their heart out. To see so many people letting loose and living in the moment was a truly refreshing sight.
Concerts can feel overwhelming and stressful at times but Lorde’s couldn’t be more opposite. She created an atmosphere that truly felt like a home away from home filled with a group of strangers that felt like family. Whether we were holding back tears together during ‘David’ or letting everything go during ‘Green Light’, the connection was there and it was strong. The crowd dancing together at the very end during ‘Ribs’ was unlike anything I’ve ever seen and truly solidified the family dynamic that I don’t think any other artist could replicate.
This wasn’t just a concert, it was pure cinema.
Rating: 5/5