NELL MESCAL IN MANCHESTER | ‘ETHEREAL, VULNERABLE AND TRANSCENDENT’

LIVE REVIEW | NELL MESCAL | BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER 03/04/2025 by Gracie Erskine

Nepo-sibling loses all meaning as Nell Mescal transcends the audience at Manchester Band On The Wall show.

Thursday evening welcomed a celestial coalition from Nell Mescal and support Eve Christina. From releasing her debut single ‘Crash’ in 2020, catching the eyes of James Bay and Jennifer Garner with her covers, to the release of her debut EP ‘Can I Miss It For A Minute?’ in 2024 , the Irish singer-songwriter is on no plateau, and her recent show at Band on The Wall affirms this.

Christina warmed the crowd with her tender voice and merciful words. The London singer’s extremely polite manner and overrun flattery exuded from her delicate nature to her vulnerable songwriting. Teasing the audience with a live debut of unreleased track ‘Be My Man’, which toys between the close-to-home flits of yearning when bisexual. The folk fawn closed her set with a unifying children’s-choir-like chorus of vocalised nonsense in ‘Tangled’.

Christina referred to herself as ‘Nell’s biggest fan’, and half an hour later , it was evident why. 

The Irish songwriter blessed the stage, bearing only her presence and the support of an incredibly engrossed man on acoustic. The simplicity of her show truly yielded the fragility and sincerity in her writing. A simple red velvet curtain, courtesy of The Copper Bar, paired with honest lyrics and earnest delivery felt like an intimate invitation to a heartfelt bedroom session.

A touch of bashfulness suffused through the set, as Mescal told the audience that they can ‘just vibe out’ in a stretch of nervousness that the singer only expelled when performing. The 21-year-old singer’s ability really unveiled itself once she was spotlighted on her own performing ‘Thin’. Explaining her own difficulty with body image prior , the performance of choked-up vocals with poignant lyrics brought out the kinds of tears that you have slyly lick off your cheek with your tongue in an effort to remain nonchalant.

As the crowd raised their phones at new song ‘See You Again’, Mescal embraced the abundance of filming as a sign of unity of adoration, feeling pure gratitude for the crowd. Fan favourites such as ‘In My Head’ received a fond reception from fans as they sang along, eyes wide in awe of the singer.

This mini-tour may be simple and intimate, but the future of Nell Mescal appears bright for the rising star. Whilst the soft pop genre may seem oversaturated, the Irish siren held a distinctive performance, with a spellbound crowd drawn into a tunnelled gaze. 

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Gracie Erskine

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