Page 38 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 114

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LØLØ – Birmingham O2 Academy 2, 13.05.26
With LØLØ’s diaristic new album, ‘god forbid a girl
spits out her feelings!’, released in mid-April, being an
album about ‘learning, losing, falling in love, falling apart
and refusing to apologize for any of it’, the Canadian
singer/songwriter headed, unapologetically, soon after, to
Europe and the UK for ‘god forbid a girl goes on tour!’,
where new and old fans fell in love with her stage pres-
ence and performance, either for the first time, or all over
again.
‘Dear Diary, today is May 13th. I’m in Birming-HAM,’
LØLØ’s recorded voice echoes out of the speakers. ‘I
mean, Birminghum… Or is it Birmingum?’ She is urged to
stop journaling, as the show is starting. Her bandmates
walk on stage and start playing the opening bars to ‘the
devil wears converse’, before the much-loved singer ar-
rives, wearing a tank top featuring a British flag, and her
familiar micro ra-ra skirt. With knee length socks and train-
ers, she looks part pop-punk princess, part sporty cheer-
leader.
While failed relationships have inspired her songs, she
has definitely won the heart of many UK pop rock fans.
Songs such as ‘007’ and the title track of her new album
are delicious bites of pleasure. Despite being written at low
points in her love life, they are relatable and healing, but
also, pure joy to listen to, all rolled up in one.
She officially welcomes the audience to the tour and
tells everyone how, as a child, she would rip the pages of
her diary into pieces, as she was scared of anyone know-
ing her deepest, darkest thoughts, but now, in her career,
she tells everyone all of her deepest, darkest thoughts.
And tonight is a celebration of the messiness that the writ-
ing of her album was.
Some recorded ‘Dear diary’ intros to songs such as
‘me with no shirt on’, make the show stand out as more
than just a concert on stage, giving it an almost theatre-
like, fairytale storyline, with LØLØ even getting a diary and
pen and pretending to write in the diary. “Has anyone here
ever sent or received a sexy picture?” she asks the crowd.
There’s a cheer. She grabs an acoustic guitar to play the
song. She has a gorgeous voice, which makes the song a
sumptuous, radio-friendly gem. ‘the punisher’ is another
velvety tune and a slice of melodic bliss.
Addictive ear-worm ‘debbie downer’ sees numerous
cheerleading pom poms being thrown out to the audience
and an audience member chosen to get up on stage to
join in with the active tune.
‘faceplant’ includes a short segment of The Killers’ ‘Mr
Brightside’, while we’re told to ‘give it up for being delulu’
and how ‘delusional darling’ is about ‘ignoring every single
bright and shining, humungous red flag, because some-
times it’s easier to be delulu’. Support artist Ella Red joins
LØLØ for the second part of the song.
The crowd get the choice of either ‘lonely & pathetic’
or ‘hurt less’. The cheers are more or less the same, al-
though ‘lonely & pathetic’ just about wins. It’s hard to pick
a favourite when it comes to LØLØ’s songs as they are all
high quality.
The 20-song setlist includes an encore of ‘wish I was
a robot’ (which LØLØ performs on her own with an acous-
tic guitar) and ‘hot girls in hell’ (which starts off delicately,
before exploding into a celebration of exes rotting in hell).
LØLØ gives a little speech before ‘wish I was a robot’
about how we are all human and we all have feelings. So
many feelings are felt through the songs and by each and
everyone in the audience. The standout feeling that we left
the show with was that LØLØ is one incredibly talented
singer/songwriter and that she has a very, very bright fu-
ture ahead of her. Dear diary, we’re glad that LØLØ is not
a robot. We had a great time at the show tonight – and
hope that LØLØ comes back to Birmingham again soon.
YYYYY
Shari Black Velvet

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