There’s a unique kind of intimacy to a LØLØ show, the sort that makes even a packed Manchester venue feel like a late-night conversation between friends. On paper, her current run is built around the release of sophomore album god forbid a girl spits out her feelings!, but in practice, it feels more like an open diary brought to life on stage. Emotional without becoming heavy-handed, chaotic without ever losing control, the night unfolds like a carefully curated spiral through heartbreak, humour, rage and vulnerability, exactly the emotional cocktail LØLØ has built her career on.
Opening the evening is Dawson Gamble, armed with little more than an acoustic guitar and the kind of voice that instantly quiets a room. Stripped-back support slots can sometimes struggle in restless crowds, but Gamble holds attention effortlessly, his songwriting carrying enough emotional weight to fill the space on its own. There’s something refreshingly unpolished about the performance too: no overproduction, no unnecessary theatrics, just genuinely strong songs delivered with conviction. That said, the set leaves you wanting more in the best possible way. While the acoustic format works, there’s a lingering curiosity about how these tracks would sound backed by a full band, given the size and atmosphere they already manage to create solo. If this is the foundation, the potential feels massive.
Then comes Ella Red and suddenly the entire room sharpens into focus.
If Dawson Gamble eases the crowd in emotionally, Ella Red grabs it by the throat. From the second she walks onstage, she radiates star quality, balancing effortless cool with a stage presence that feels completely natural rather than manufactured. The songs are instantly catchy, the kind that bury themselves in your head after one chorus but it’s the complete package that makes her impossible to look away from. Vocally, she sounds phenomenal, gliding between softer emotional moments and bigger, punchier hooks without losing control for a second. Visually, she’s just as captivating, stepping onstage in outfits she designed and made herself specifically for the tour, adding another layer of artistry to the performance. It never feels like style over substance though; instead, everything works together to create an artist with an incredibly clear identity. By the end of her set, there’s a genuine sense that the crowd have witnessed someone right on the edge of breaking into something much bigger. Easily one of the highlights of the night.
But when LØLØ finally appears, framed by pre-recorded speeches that play like diary entries echoing around the venue, the atmosphere shifts completely. The production is deceptively simple, but incredibly effective, each spoken interlude peeling back another emotional layer before she launches into the next song. It transforms the show from a straightforward pop-rock set into something far more immersive, allowing the audience to step directly into the emotional world of god forbid a girl spits out her feelings!.
There’s no denying how strong the new material sounds live. The songs hit with raw emotional force, and LØLØ’s delivery remains as compelling as ever, balancing sarcasm, heartbreak and rage with the kind of honesty that’s made her so relatable to fans. But structurally, the setlist feels like a slight gamble. With the album only having been out for around three weeks, dedicating such a large portion of the night to brand-new material occasionally causes the energy to dip, particularly compared to the explosive reactions her older fan favourites receive. It’s admirable that she’s so confident in the new era and many of the songs absolutely earn their place but there are moments where the crowd seems caught between wanting to absorb the newer tracks and craving the cathartic familiarity that built such a dedicated fanbase in the first place.
That said, LØLØ knows exactly how to pull the audience back in. Midway through the set, she invites a fan named Rachel onstage to perform debbie downer alongside her, turning the song into one of the night’s most wholesome moments as the crowd erupts around them. Later, she brings support act Ella Red back out for a performance of new track delusional darling, their chemistry elevating the song even further live. It’s moments like these that make the show feel less polished and performative, and more like a shared experience between artist and audience.
That connection becomes even more obvious when LØLØ pauses to let fans choose between hurt less and lonely & pathetic. The crowd immediately rebels against the concept entirely, loudly demanding both songs instead of accepting the choice. Eventually, hurt less wins by the narrowest of margins, but the reaction says everything about the emotional attachment people have to her music. These songs don’t just soundtrack people’s lives; they belong to them.
By the closing stretch, the room feels emotionally wrung out in the best possible way. Dawson Gamble proved he has the songwriting chops to command attention with minimal setup. Ella Red delivered a performance that felt impossible to ignore. And LØLØ, despite taking a few ambitious risks with the setlist, still succeeds in turning vulnerability into spectacle, crafting a show that feels deeply personal, occasionally messy, but ultimately impossible not to connect with.
Words by Ell Bradbury
