At the start of the year there was some controversial discourse surrounding the opening of Lily Allen’s ‘West End Girl Live’ because of its brief 50 minute duration, the setlist not including any old songs, and her decision to not talk to the crowd. Some really believed it was wrong because of the high ticket pricing, but after witnessing her sold out Sydney show at the TikTok Entertainment Centre, I don’t think this show would have worked any other way. This is a one-off concert experience that acts more-so as a musical theatre experience. It brings you quite literally into the middle of the devastating heartbreak and grief this album details. Every night she relives her trauma for 50 minutes, giving an incredible and heartbreaking performance that sees her re-enacting emotional breakdowns and processing how to move on.
The show is matched with a grand theatrical set that changes throughout the show to visually bring you into different settings and represent these songs and the stories in a larger than life way. There is a giant cake she stands upon, a swing, a bed, sex toy props, a fridge with a connecting dress, and so much more. If you added dialogue into the show I could see her taking this to the actual West End for 90 minute theatre show.
The songs on ‘West End Girl’ are gut wrenching as they are, but in the live space they ache with even more emotion. ‘Relapse’ and ‘Just Enough’ are tear inducing moments in the set where you are absolutely just captivated by her. And then ‘Pussy Palace’, ‘Madeline’, ‘Dallas Major’ and ‘Nonmonogamummy’ were big singalong moments that had a palpating energy to them in the arena.
No one else is doing it like Lily Allen right now. And I think there is an argument now for special one album theatrical concert pieces. Slayyyter, RAYE and Kim Petras have also been performing their album’s in their entirety in their own ways, and I’m excited to see this concept evolve. Imagine if Beyonce did her Beyonce or Lemonade album’s like this in the live space – it would have been game changing. And I truly believe Lily doing this will create a little wave of performance experimentation.
This felt like the perfect way for Lily Allen to represent West End Girl and for her to re-introduce herself to the world playing some of the biggest venue sizes she has in her 20 year career. I’m in absolute awe of Lily Allen and cannot wait to see what is next for her.
Photo by Emma Louise Smith
