by Tee Tolmar
In a spectacular conclusion to her four-date UK tour, Charli XCX brought pulsating lights and raw energy to Glasgow’s OVO Hydro. The air in the stadium was electric even before Charli stepped foot onstage. Following a bold opening set from Shygirl, and a pre-show soundtrack of Charli’s own hits, the crowd were shrouded in green lights and mist as they danced. “Let’s rewind and pretend it’s a Saturday. Let me go hard,” she teased during the gig, and she certainly lived up to the promise. The arena transformed into a warehouse rave on an unassuming Monday night.
Whilst the concert was certainly high energy, the setup and backdrop were minimalistic. Simple banners replaced background graphics, Charli was onstage alone, and despite multiple outfit changes and a floating stage, the performance felt rather stripped back. This arena tour had Charli performing in far bigger venues than she had previously done, but she managed to bring the intimate, sweaty atmosphere of a rave nonetheless, largely because Charli herself was raving as hard as the crowd.
The show kicked off with Charli bringing Shygirl back for their remix of ‘365‘. The crowd erupted as she twerked against the iconic Brat green backdrop, dramatically pulling it to the ground as she transitioned into ‘360‘. For her next song, she relocated to the B-stage. She played with her surroundings, strutting under the walkway connecting the two stages, separated from the floor crowd only by a cage-like wire fence. “Glasgow, I can’t fucking hear you,” she shouted as she shook the wire, her live videographer following her as she sang and danced against the industrial backdrop. The jumbotron footage switched between different camera angles matching the ‘Von Dutch’ beat, engaging the audience even while Charli herself was out of much of the crowd’s sight.
“It’s just me up here, but backstage there’s a million people… who I push around a little bit, like Nick,” Charli told the audience between songs. “Make some noise for Nick, my camera guy.” As the audience cheered, Charli ran back and forth across the stage with Nick in tow. The two of them moved dynamically together, creating a video feed that felt more like a pre-filmed music video than live footage. He was certainly deserving of the applause, and the big screen video displays remained a highlight throughout the entire performance.
After the first four songs, Charli disappeared off-stage, which only built the crowd’s anticipation as they chanted: “Here we, here we, here we fucking go.” When Charli returned, not only was she in a different outfit, but the intended mood had clearly shifted too. Blue hues illuminated her figure as the melodies of her next song echoed softly. It was a particularly touching moment to witness the singer, whose career has sky-rocketed in the past year, deliver the line, “I don’t feel like nothing special”, to an arena of fourteen thousand people singing along and waving their torches.
As the song drew to an end, Charli’s distinct ability to seamlessly interlace songs with completely different moods was in full effect. The lights dimmed, and the final lyrics of ‘I might say something stupid’ echoed on repeat, interrupted intermittently by a sudden flash of lights and the strong drum base of ‘Club Classics’. “Glasgow, you wanna fucking dance with Charli XCX tonight?” she asked the already dancing crowd. If Charli’s aim with the Brat Tour was to mimic a club night, it was an overwhelming success.
‘Guess’ was a particular crowd favourite. Choosing to perform the version featuring Billie Eilish, Charli gave an all-out dance performance during Billie’s verse, pulling up both her top and her skirt to show off her underwear. As Billie’s voice played over the speaker, Charli leaned over, spat on the floor, knelt to the ground, then dramatically flipped her hair back to lick it up. Brat is the only word that suffices to describe the atmosphere at this point.
The concert ended on a high note as the B-stage was transformed into a rain-filled spotlight during the penultimate song, ‘Track 10’. Within seconds, Charli was drenched as she moved her body to the music, clearly feeling herself.
Charli’s stage presence and infectious energy made this concert unforgettable. It may be nearing Christmas, but as far as Charli XCX and her fans are concerned, Brat Summer is far from over.
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