November 2022 saw UPSAHL kick off her very first headline UK tour, making stops in cities including Leeds, Manchester and Bristol. London was the last show to bring it all to a close but before that, the people of Birmingham were there to give UPSAHL the welcome she deserved.
Up first was support from Lizzie Esau. Starting it all off with lots of energy and enthusiasm, this set the tone for the rest of the set. From the start, it was evident that Lizzie and her band loved being up on stage and the passion allowed for a lot of crowd interaction.
She proved to be a fitting opener. With heavy instrumentals, strong vocals and a soulful pop flow, there was nothing but talent coming from the stage. Managing to grab the attention of every person in the room, the result of songs like “Bleak Sublime” and “Bitter Weather” provided a sense of enhancement.
Before Upsahl was set to take centre stage, following Lizzie Esau was Eyelar. Her personality shone the moment she got on stage. Being greeted with a round of applause, Eyelar was ready to get the show started. With a mixture of unreleased tracks including “Closet” and “Newest Kid”, storytelling and angelic vocals, there was a sense of relatability through her songs as she captures moments many people go through in life.
A cover of Tom Odell’s “Another Love” was what got the audience involved as Eylar and everyone in the room sang the chorus together. With genuine and powerful pop vocals, this allows for Eyelar to carve and create her own sound with no fear.
With a massive smile on her face as she was ready to give the Birmingham crowd what they came for, “People I Don’t Like” was what set the tone of the show. UPSAHL started as she meant to go on, with a burst of energy as she was able to take charge up on the stage.
The excitement from her fans continued as the show went on. With a range of uptempo tracks, including “Time of My Life” and “MoneyOnMyMind”, UPSAHL proves that she is a true performer. With the show being pretty intimate, this allowed for her to grow closer to her fans and create a special bond.
Every single person was there to have a night to remember and that was certainly something that was delivered. Covering every corner of the stage continuously made the audience feel seen. Watching the engagement with her fans showed a genuine connection between the two which was nice to see.
Considering this being her first UK headline tour, there was a lot of love in the room for UPSAHL. With the help of her band, a truly great show was put on and one to be proud of. From the very second, UPSAHL had Birmingham in the palm of her hands.
As the show was coming to a close, the crowd channelled every last bit of energy they had left for “Lunatic”. Every single person was having the time of their lives and it probably won’t be long until UPSAHL makes her way back to the UK for another headline tour, judging by how the very first one went.
UPSAHL was able to captivate the audience and command a room’s full attention through her natural born ability to put on a phenomenal show. She is definitely one to look out for in 2023.
Words by Sarah Akomanyi
