Maisie Peters is becoming a modern day Lily Allen and her performance at Oxford solidifies the statement
A sold-out Saturday night at Oxfords O2 academy says it all for singer songwriter Maisie Peters. Despite still being a relatively fresh face to the music industry, the 22-year-old Sussex born singer songwriter is taking the world by storm.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to see Maisie live twice now – once at Wembley stadium, where she supported Ed Sheeran, and once on Saturday in Oxford on her tour where, in true Maisie fashion, she delivered an equally intimate and empowering set. For anyone who has never visited an O2 Academy performance, allow me to set the scene: small venue, (overpriced pints), electric atmosphere. Combine that with the post-break-up anthems and blonde sass of Maisie Peters, it’s essentially a guaranteed night to remember.
The night began like every good concert: weaving through a tipsy sea of dedicated fans to get a decent view of the stage. Despite arriving ahead of the first set, the crowd consuming the venue corner to corner and a babble of excitement hung in the air.
As I situated myself conveniently in front of a very tall guy, the lights dimmed and an ever-growing cheer pulsed through the crowds as support act Cate, took to the stage – Canadian singer songwriter, Maisie’s university roommate and sister of ‘Cates Brother’. Cate is one of those artists with a stage presence that buzzes to the very back of the crowd and reminds us all of why we love live music so much.
Her array of talent stretches across her discography. A master of interacting with an audience, Cate played songs such as ‘Ruined’ with an upbeat tempo to a dancing crowd, and songs such as ‘can’t wait to be pretty’ sung with a depth of emotion that pulled on the heart strings of a swaying audience.
Next came ‘the good witch’ herself, Maisie Peters, exploding onto stage in an eruption of energetic lighting, backed by the unapologetic drum beat that frames her hit ‘Lost The Breakup’, an anthem that speaks to anyone and everyone who has felt disempowered by their love story. Lyrics such as “I’m the best thing that almost happened to you” accompanied by the pulsey riff of electric guitar creates an energy that immerses a crowd in self-confidence.
With the help of her insanely talented band, Peters dances us from the sisterhood of ‘Brooklyn’ to the coming-of-age sass of ‘Blonde’ via ‘Cates brother’, a hit that breaks her chain of writing sings about “boys who probably wish she hadn’t” Naturally, this is performed with Cate.
“This has been the most insane three years of my life” Maisy screams after thanking us all for our dedicated support, and only now is it dawning on me just how insane the whirlwind that is Maisy Peters has been. It’s impossible to believe that only three years ago, she was busking on the streets of Brighton. There is something about Maisy that is unique.
Her unapologetic lyricism reminds me of a modern-day Lily Allen, whilst her immense stage presence draws inspiration from the wonderful Florence And The Machine. Watching tonight, in the small and electric atmosphere that is Oxford’s O2 Academy, I feel both incredibly blessed and slightly sad. Sad because this is as Maisie says, “the end of an era”. The days of playing to rooms in the hundreds are soon to be switched for sold out stadiums. And blessed because I have had the chance to see music legend in the making.
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