LIVE REVIEW | KERR MERCER w/ Abbie Gordon | MANCHESTER THE DEAF INSTITUTE: THE LODGE 09/10/2024 by Martha Munro

Manchester’s The Deaf Institute: The Lodge is one of the most intimate venues in this city of music, boosting budding talents on their way up the industry ladder. But the moment rising pop-ballad singer-songwriter Kerr Mercer stepped onto that small stage 9th October, it was clear to every member of the audience that he’s destined for the biggest and the brightest.

After supporting the likes of McFly, Only The Poets and The Snuts, Mercer decided to go on his own headline tour of the UK – and managed to sell it out without having any songs on streaming platforms. His night in Manchester was the closing show, ending this already undeniable success of a tour with closeness, heart and a few good laughs for everyone to take home.

Up first was the enthralling 18-year-old support act Abbie Gordon who took to the stage alone yet managed to fill the entire room with warmth, emotion and her enchanting vocals. It was clear from her first acoustic guitar number Psycho why Mercer had chosen Gordon to join him on this tour; the two both have pop-perfect voices, hard-hitting lyrics and immediately comforting stage presences (and, of course, are both Scots). The strength and control in Gordon’s voice throughout her set was remarkable, so smoothly shifting between dynamics and registers to draw out the emotion rife in her Taylor-Swift-esque, storytelling lyrics. Her mash-up of Guns & Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine and Chappell Roan’s Red Wine Supernova, while an objectively random one, was a definite highlight and signifier of her creativity; even without any music on streaming platforms, Gordon clearly has a strong sense of her musical self and brought her silky-smooth, sentimental style to both tracks, bringing out their most emotive elements. She finished the set with the passionate number I’m Not A Child, founded by a Radiohead-reminiscent chord progression and brimming with feeling, talent and potential; Abbie Gordon is certainly one to watch and wait for.

And, of course, headliner Kerr Mercer’s entrance to the stage through the whooping crowd was electric, preceded by the multi-talented musician Adam Frame on guitar and bass drum who powered Mercer into his punchy opening number Soldier. The singer’s voice is consistently addictive, emotive and controlled, reminiscent of George Ezra in the lower register and Lewis Capaldi in the higher. This was proven even further when Mercer moved to the keyboard to sing Jealous, a sombre track with a passionate piano melody and the occasional, airy guitar strum from Frame to layer the sound beautifully through the room.

Aside from his striking musical talent, the most memorable part of a Kerr Mercer set is his authenticity. His easy, casual connection with the audience, his hilarious sense of humour, his unending gratitude to everybody in the crowd; he’s an amazing artist to see as well as listen to. This was clearest before he played the Sinatra-esque piano line of Love To Lose, thanking the crowd for their support and singing-along, received with rapturous applause even for such a small venue. This enthusiasm from the audience didn’t waver for a moment throughout the night and peaked when whispers of excitement floated through the crowd as Mercer began the acoustic guitar track Waves: a clear fan favourite. Frame’s summery picking pattern intertwined harmoniously with Mercer’s strengthening voice, reaching a gritty, raw but controlled height for the chorus.

After a stunning cover of Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter and his own slow, sombre, Adele-style ballad I’d Rather Die While I Remember, Mercer played his much newer song Petals, inspired by a scene from the animated film Peter Pan. As the muted acoustic guitar strums became fuller and the bass drum built up and up, it was clear that this was a different style for Mercer, more like Noah Kahan in its upbeat, climactic movements but still retaining his distinctive heart. The following number One In A Million was a personal favourite of Mercer’s – and clearly everyone else’s too. His syrupy voice and insightful, heartfelt lyrics were met with the entranced choir of the crowd who seemed to know and truly feel every lyric.

That sense of feeling and shared understanding was encapsulated in the last few songs of the set, namely through the addictive melody of Happy To Hurt and innocent, 15-year-old desperation of Carry Me Home. The raw pain and the openness with which Mercer expressed it in his every lyric made the show cathartic, a night of human connection and honesty. To bid Manchester goodnight, Mercer played a newer song than any other: Never Be You. His piano and Frame’s guitar worked together to reach a climactic chorus and end to the gig, overflowing with strength and style, range and rawness, power and promise: Kerr Mercer is well and truly on his way.