Following the release of her debut album ‘riot youth’, indie-rock artist Chloe Slater, known for her poignant political lyricism, is doing a tour of the UK. Last night, my friends and I saw her at Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, and the show exceeded all expectations.
Waiting in the queue, we were handed heart-shaped pieces of paper reading “close your eyes and count to 67” and “you cure our sinking feeling” to hold up during Slater’s performance. It was part of a fan project; a nice touch adding to the atmosphere of the gig in such an intimate venue.
Slater’s supporting band was My First Time, a punk rock band who reminded us of Idles and STONE. They played a 30 minute set, bringing an incredible energy to the stage, their music complimenting Chloe Slater’s political messaging.
Then it was time for the main act. The crowd was buzzing as the band came onstage and ‘Mother Nature’s Killing Spree’ began to play.
The set list was incredible, Slater playing songs from her new album as well as all the fan favourites. Songs that we already loved were even better live, with ‘Can I Finish Please?’ and ‘Price On Fun’ giving the crowd an exhilarating energy, everyone jumping and singing along.
Slater has also been doing a cover of Sam Fender’s ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ on this tour, which I was excited for, and she didn’t disappoint. It was a beautiful tribute to what she called “one of the greatest songs of all time”, her vocals really complimenting the music.
Then the set got to my favourite songs: ‘The Underground’ and ‘Harriet’. I’ve had ‘Harriet’ stuck in my head all day. Slater’s voice is stunning, and her band was incredibly talented.
I had Adam (shout out to the Head of Label) grabbing my shoulder every time a track we loved came on – so basically every song. The amount of times we screamed “she’s playing the song!!” is honestly too many to count.
The one that stopped time was ‘Let It Happen’. You could’ve heard a pin drop in that room during Slater’s emotional performance about losing hope in the face of current politics and the climate crisis. It was really beautiful.
The singer also invited Green New Deal Rising to campaign on tour with her, using her platform to raise political awareness, reflecting what she tries to do with her music. The first 20 people to buy merchandise at her shows (including yours truly) get a free “hope juice” pin badge and a zine where Slater writes about her activism and the importance of community in this era of politics: live concerts are one of these crucial community spaces, bringing people together with music.
Slater ended the set on a high with ‘Fig Tree’, a fan favourite, with the whole crowd singing along. Every one of Slater’s songs has a strong political message, but this one – inspired by Sylvia Plath’s fig tree analogy – is extra poignant, criticising the way that women are expected to act and how Slater is treated as a public-facing woman online, whilst also being incredibly upbeat and catchy.
It was an amazing concert and I’m glad we made the journey to Nottingham to see it. If anyone gets the chance to catch Chloe Slater on the rest of her UK tour, I recommend you go: you won’t regret it
