Live Review + Gallery | Arlo Parks @ Prospect Building, Bristol

Rosie Risdale

Hi my name is Rosie! I am a Midlands born, Bristol based photographer, writer and interviewer who has been an active member of the music scene since I was 17. I seek to capture the tiny moments of a gig, the human connection that we can find in venues all across the world, I live for gigs with power and meaning, that speaks for the people. In my personal work, I focus on exploring memory, intimacy and social connection through from my own life experiences and those talk to around me.

Arlo Parks headlines Bristol’s Prospect Building, leaning more into the electronic side of her sound, with support from producer Baird

With a pretty glorious full moon shining down on me, I traipsed around warehouse after warehouse, following Baird, producer of Arlo Parks’ most recent project and her support act for the evening. In typical British-American conversation, we covered American football, the weather, Sunday roasts, and the pros (and cons) of touring on a bus rather than a small van.

The conversation kept our journey to one of Bristol’s newest venues lively, with Baird strumming his electric guitar while I fiddled with my ancient Canon. It felt methodical, as though I were part of a well-rehearsed dance that takes place only before a show. If this was the calmness that Arlo’s support act and stage partner embodied, then I knew the night ahead would be brimming with musical prowess, showcasing the world of Parks’ newest album, ‘Ambiguous Desire.‘

Warming up the crowd, Baird introduced the audience to his genre-bending world, delivering a short but well-rounded set that showed off his eclectic production style, blending indie pop, bossa nova and neo-soul. It certainly warmed up the crowd, with constant shifts in tempo and tone ensuring his set packed a punch. ‘Lightning of July’, already a favourite of mine, had me swaying and singing along in the pit, and I was excited to see how Baird would explore his musicality further as the night unfolded.

Compared to her previous tours, Parks has scaled back the number of people on stage, leaning more heavily into electronica this time around. Joined by Baird and her musical director Sam Harding, there was an air of intimacy on stage. Three incredibly talented musicians played for themselves just as much as they did for the audience before them. Opening the night with an extended version of ‘Heaven’, Parks immediately set the tone. The track is certainly one of the heavier hitters in her catalogue, blending her trademark soft vocals with a punchy beat drop that got the Prospect crowd moving.

Parks never stops dancing. I truly believe that music lives inside her. From her initial bounce onto the stage, her feet barely stopped moving throughout the entire 21-song set, an impressive feat that certainly helped hold the crowd’s attention. Much like a big night out, Parks’ set ebbed and flowed, taking us through memories of dancing in Brooklyn and London (‘2SIDED‘ and ‘Get Go’) while also drawing us into her softer side. ‘Beams‘, a song drenched in the hazy aftermath of a night out and the feeling that the sun will eventually come up, offered a moment of reflection amid the movement.

A particular favourite of mine was her collaboration with Sampha, ‘Senses‘. A beautiful duet exploring the trials and tribulations of mental health, their vocals blended seamlessly to tell a story that felt deeply personal yet universally understood.

Midway through the set, I appreciated Parks’ speech about the power of music and how it can become a source of salvation in the darkest of times. She reflected on the connection people have with her track ‘Black Dog’, a song that has clearly resonated with so many. Despite her own personal struggles, it’s incredible to witness the strength it takes to speak so openly about them on stage in front of hundreds of people, knowing that even a short speech can genuinely make a difference to the right person.

Although this direction feels completely different from what we’ve come to expect from Arlo Parks, the path she’s taking is fascinating. She isn’t allowing genre to limit her ability to create powerfully vulnerable music. Instead, there’s a sense that she’s becoming more assured in herself and her artistry, embracing the world she’s created with ‘Ambiguous Desire‘ and giving herself the freedom to explore it fully. It’s a direction worth watching, and one that suggests Parks is only becoming more comfortable in her own skin.