Raye: Live in London — She did not stop shining, not once

A performer with a performance so good it transcends its own already spectacular form

The three hour drive from Bristol to London’s O2 was one filled with much anticipation amongst my friends and I. Having secured our tickets to see Croydon’s-own Raye in the capital toward the start of the academic year, the gig had become something somewhat of a legend, a folklore tale that we would tell one another to spur us on, reminding ourselves of what we had to look forward to as we approached our end of year exams and essays. Those burdens now off our back, the day had come, and we were on our way.

My own personal excitement, though certainly there, had dwindled a tad in the months leading up to this trip. Raye’s second record, ‘THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE’, hadn’t immediately landed with me in the same way it had with my friends, or indeed, much of the country. I, at first, struggled to warm to the ‘Old Hollywood’ gimmick, where songs are presented as cinema with elaborate, dramatic spoken intros and outros and direct, fourth-wall breaking audience call-outs.

However, like the films that the album is styled upon, there was to be a twist. In the days leading up to the show and in conjunction with Louis Theroux’s 2023 interview, album number one: ‘My 21st Century Blues’, some live clips and general Raye content, I revisited the album, finding, to my delight, it to be much better than I’d originally declared.

The grandeur and bravado of it all was now something I was gripped by. Much like Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ or Billie Eilish’s ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’, I was enamoured by the size and scope of the music and the dynamic approach to genre; where Raye moves between styles constantly and even doing so frequently within the same song to create a record that carries a sense of a palpable, cinematic feeling. Her talent had never been in question, but now I was all in on the product, too.

Raye’s younger sisters, Amma and Absolutely, were first on stage — their contrasting dress and sound notable but not enough to completely disguise their familial link, as certain notes, patterns of speech or body language was recognisable in that of their older sibling.

At around 8:30pm, the protagonist made her big entrance. The theatrical form that structured the album was to be pumped up to the max for this show; something made clear in the opening moments as Raye monologued her way through the first few songs, dressed in a vintage sparkled red dress modelled on those of the 1950s and 1960s aesthetic that she is inspired by, surrounded by huge set designs and stage props that too look as though they’ve been pulled straight from a Hollywood flick of the classical era. Her band and crew, in matching tuxedos no less, fill the stage from left to right, back to front; serving as an acting ensemble, often getting involved with the jokes and skits that their lead performs to her crowd.

And her crowd it really was. I have never, ever, seen an artist command a stage in such a way as Raye did that night. She had complete and unbridled attention and control of the entire arena and walked and talk with a class and charm that was breathtaking. No air of ego, Raye spoke with complete humility and gratitude as she addressed the room —the 20,000 capacity venue feeling at times more like a small, intimate bar or venue that you stumble across after a drink in the evening, only to spend the rest of it (2 and a half hours, to be precise), captivated by the gift of its entertainer. Charismatic, self-aware, sometimes awkward, frequently funny, always sounding magnificent and, when talking about the more serious themes of some of her songs, very, very brave.

There was only one slightly dull moment — at least in comparison to the rest of the setlist — in ‘Life Boat’ which, considering it scaled a huge 26 songs, is remarkable. Exquisitely and methodically selected, the lineup felt crafted to form a structure that was as interesting as it was impressive. Some songs were shortened into a medley, namely the ‘nightclub segment’ which featured titles including ‘BED’ and ‘You Don’t Know Me’, titles Raye has been very public in her disliking of due to their making during her former record deal with the label Polydor, titles she reclaims live with elegance, innovation and lots of fun. A personal highlight (even though Raye teased us with a special appearance from the song’s feature, the legendary Al Green, where I think, for a split second, I actually lost my mind), was ‘Goodbye Henry’ — the first time it has been played on tour thus far. Other high points were, unsurprisingly, the likes of ‘Worth It’, ‘Joy’ and the grand finale, ‘Escapism’ but, it is worth saying that when it comes to picking favourites, I am somewhat spoilt for choice.

One of the most skilled singers of her generation, full and bursting with confidence, backed by a family of musicians with just as much talent and swagger as she, set to a stage design and show form grand and wonderful — this was a gig to tell the grandkids about, and one of the very best I’ve seen to date.