Performing with a two-man band, drinking margaritas on stage, and sending a big "Fuck You" to the current President of the United States...last night, I had the opportunity to see Lily Allen perform at the House of Blues in New Orleans during her No Shame Tour.
If you forgot how long Lily Allen has been in the industry, her diverse crowd easily reminded you. The show itself was 18+ but as soon as I stepped foot into the venue, I quickly took notice of how many older fans she attracted to see her live. She's been around for over a decade now -- her first album, Alright, Still, dropped in 2006. Her latest album, No Shame, dropped this past June after her four-year hiatus where she's an open book. On the album she reflects on her recent divorce, being a parent, and being a celebrity.
With a 22-song set, Lily performed some old and some new. Throughout the show, she chatted with the crowd. She discussed her night on in New Orleans the night before, the inspirations behind some of the songs, and even how she'll be an aunt in a few hours because her sister was currently in labor. Here are some of my favorite moments throughout the show:
She dedicated her song “Three” to her kids who are back in the UK right now. She expressed how she couldn't wait to see them in a few weeks when they visit her for her show in New York. Motherhood was a topic discussed often on her latest album. In her song, "Come On Then," one of the lyrics are "Yeah, I'm a bad mother/I'm a bad wife/You saw it on the social/You read it online."
Throughout the night, much like she is on her album, she was an open book with the crowd. She openly discussed her failed marriage before covering Lykke Li's song, "deep end." She said she felt like she related to Li because she was also a mother and recent divorcee.
She performed her song "Knock Em Out" from her first album, Alright, Still. It was special that she performed it in New Orleans because she sampled Professor Longhair’s “Big Chief". If you're from the Big Easy, you've heard "Big Chief" played during every Mardi Gras season, at Jazz Fest, and more!
"The Fear" was definitely a fan favorite. Before she performed it, she mentioned how she originally wrote the 2008 song about the age of Myspace and that era of social media but acknowledged how relevant it is to today's age. In the song, she sings about how "Life's about film stars and less about mothers/It's all about fast cars and cussing each other." I must say, it's super relevant to the age of social media today and today's standards for those who are famous. Lily laughed before saying, “I foresaw this shit, call me Nostradamus from now on.”
Truly, the best part of the show was the ending. After faking out the crowd and coming back on for an encore, she ended off the night by saying "I wrote this song about a previous President of yours called George W. Bush because at that time I really thought he was the worst kind of human being. Fast forward ten years and turns out I was wrong, there's a new asshole in town...What a fucking dweeb. Anyway, this next song is dedicated to you, Mr. Donald J. Trump." She then proceeded to perform her hit single, "Fuck You." With middle fingers in the air, the crowd sang along to the last song of the night.
No backup singers. No dancers. No pyro. No multiple outfit changes. No elaborate production. Just Lily, her two-man band, and some cool stage lighting and yet she kept me interested the entire freaking set (and this is coming from someone who knew only three Lily Allen songs as of yesterday). It was honestly really refreshing.
If you missed her show in New Orleans, I definitely recommend seeing her next time she is in town or in a city near you. Also, I've had her No Shame on repeat since I left the show. During the show, she mentioned the album was an “a horrifically undersold album” but to me, it's horrifically underrated after hearing her perform it live and listening to it all day today. Give it a listen after you finish reading this post. My top three song suggestions are "Pushing Up Daisies," "Higher," and "Cake."
Missed the show? Check out my Instagram Highlight from the show.