More about: Lorde

Walking to the Roundhouse in 20-degree heat – there could be no better time for Lorde’s Solar Power tour to touchdown in London. When the album came out last August, I imagine that was a heavy contributing factor to the overwhelming (and in my opinion, deeply wrong) opinion that the record was overrated. How can UK fans get involved when it’s raining here? When there’s literally no solar power to be found in a dreary lockdown England? But if there’s one thing you should take away from this, it’s that now is the time. As the summer swings round away, Lorde’s latest album seems to have a new lease of life in its necessary weather conditions. The sun is shining and the Lorde queue is a tinny-drinking, summer dress wearing haven of excitement.

Opting to play three nights at The Roundhouse as opposed to one night at somewhere like The O2, the show is a shining example of what intimate means. Weaved between cross-era tracks, Lorde is charismatic and deeply friendly in a way that every person in the crowd feels. Taking to us with a genuine affection and connection, the lasting feeling from the show was one of cosy love, flowing both ways between fans to artist, and artist to fans, having both defined each other’s youth.

And that’s not even an understatement. Before launching into ‘Ribs’ in the second act to a roar from the crowd, Lorde thanks us for dancing to this track for 10 years, prompting everyone to hold their teen selves close and go crazy for them. But way before that, as the sun-drenched lights go up and Lorde appears from out of her sun-dial shaped staging, the first three songs provide a tour of every Lorde era so far – rewinding backwards through the albums so every fan feels exciting and included before she’s even said hello.

As a Solar Power advocate, the new album tracks are special. Complimented by the simple yet stunning light show, and accompanied by a suit clad band that moved around the stage like dancers or performance artists, the album came to life in its various forms. ‘Leaders Of A New Regime’ and ‘Fallen Fruit’ hammered home the witchy vibes, as the band came together like a choir to sing hymns of fear and hope. While ‘Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All)’ fits perfectly in this mixed-bag set list that all seems to lead to the same conclusion – Lorde is just like us, moving from teen-hood to adulthood, holding the sadness and struggles but trying to turn to the sun now, trying to move forward.

Playing a huge 22 song set list, the energy goes up and up – and then Lorde pauses to ask for a banana. It seems like a weird thing to dedicate a whole paragraph to, but have you ever seen a celebrity eat on stage? I haven’t, neither has Lorde as she muses while having a little snack break. After the high energy, bouncing chorus of ‘The Louvre’, we all take a moment to rest. Sat on the ladder drapped in silk, she talks us through her day like a friend would over dinner. Telling us about her favourite places to walk in London, how she’s been finding the tour so far and the dramas of getting her B12 shot; we feel like two friends at dinner, not a celebrity and a fan in a crowd of a thousand. Taking the opportunity to sing some slower songs while the dizziness subsides, ‘Liability’ feels vulnerable and special. Allowed the intimacy that the song demands, the crowd stills and singalong voices raised, all powered by the same relatability and personal connection as the track holds a tender place in everyone’s life, and now in this moment.

Set out in acts, each with a different outfit and a subtle change in lighting that seems to move from sunrise to sunset, the finale comes with glowing rainbows and a bright dawn. Kicking into a high gear after her snack break, the 3^rd act feels like Lorde’s greatest hits storming through tracks like ‘Perfect Places’, ‘Supercut’ and ‘Sober’, the intimate venue gets house party vibes. Rolling towards a big finish with album ‘Solar Power’ and ‘Green Light’, the two lead singles from her last two albums – you’d think that would be it, a big finish. But nope – just as Solar Power was, Lorde is dedicated to the story. Returning to the place she began, we spiral back round to the new album as she plays ‘Oceanic Feeling’, a story-heavy track that summarises the album with tales of her childhood and reflections on her future children. It’s beautiful, moving, intimate and perfectly encapsulates the energy Lorde creates.

Cue the walk off and walk back on, Act 4’s encore offers up a mix of off-cuts like the underrated deluxe track ‘Helen Of Troy’ to sandwich the obvious rendition of ‘Royals’. It’s strange, but despite ‘Royals’ being Lorde’s breakout track and still her biggest to date, I could’ve done without it. For seasoned fans that managed to secure a ticket to these uber-sold-out shows, the song feels irrelevant to Lorde’s position in culture now. So separate from the artist she’d go on to become, especially on Solar Power, it feels like a task to get through, a box to tick. If it was to serve the purpose of nostalgia, the final track did a better job.

Finishing on ‘Team’, this was the nostalgia we wanted. Dancing to a song that was on-repeat during my GCSEs, soundtracking first relationships, first parties without parents, first steps into the hazy weirdness of late teens – this is exactly the position Lorde sits in. Walking with us from teens to adulthood, being in that crowd at 24, singing words I’ve known like the back of my hand for a decade, everything about these Roundhouse shows was intimate. From Lorde to her fans, and from us to our younger selves – what a beautiful celebration of connection.

See the photos from Adam Taylor below:

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More about: Lorde