Mabel is a relatively new pop sensation, hitting recognition in 2017 with her song Finder’s Keepers, then gaining popularity with her anti-ex anthem, Don’t Call Me Up in 2019. On 7th February Mabel performed at Nottingham’s live music venue, Rock City, and boy was she good. The singer chose a South London protégé, Kali Claire, to warm up the crowd during the opening act. Although her songs weren’t too memorable, her voice engaged the audience and she admitted that many of her songs were personal, which added a sentimental touch.
Mabel performed all her major hits including Mad Love and Cigarette, which the audience loved. The 23-year-old wore a sleek black tracksuit with a matching crop top. Although she usually sports a high ponytail, on this night her hair was down – serving a casual, urban look. Her backup dancers were very high energy and great to watch due to their synchronicity, although I couldn’t help noticing their slightly scary facial expressions! Along with her pop hits Mabel also sang her more heartfelt song Ok (Anxiety Anthem) about accepting mental health issues and the audience eagerly joined in with the lyrics. Unfortunately, the singer announced she was suffering from health problems the day after her Nottingham gig, forcing her to cancel the rest of her tour, so I felt lucky that she managed to perform so well that night.
Naturally the audience was mixed in age group and gender but it was surprising to meet many fans aged 15/16 that had attended. We met one pair that was attending their first ever concert which was cute. Rock City as a venue worked well because there’s plenty of space around the balcony and on the dance-floor, yet you don’t feel far away from the performers, unlike in the bigger Nottingham arena. However, I’ll confess that I was absolutely freezing throughout, most likely because I was standing near the smoking area doors which probably wasn’t the best idea! The drinks were also a bit pricier than at a club night but that was understandable. The bartender was also lovely, sneakily advising us the best bang for your buck in terms of drinks, which turned out to be their gin cocktails which tasted like bubblegum. Luckily though the concert wasn’t full of drunks (when I went to my first ever concert, I got a whole beer accidently poured over me by a tipsy teenager within ten minutes of arriving – not the best experience!) However, there was generally a very friendly atmosphere at Mabel’s concert which definitely added positively to the experience.
One word of advice I will give is to get to Rock City on time if you want a good view. That Friday (for the first time in ages) I was acutely aware of my averagely short height of 5ft’4! Standing in front of a friendly but 6ft eighteen-year-old boy was probably not the best idea I’ve had! So to all my fellow short girls make sure you either wear some strong & stable heels or squeeze yourself to the front of the stage for the best view! Oh, and bring a jacket!
4/5