Celebrating the release of her debut album, Megan Dixon Hood kicked off her dual-headline tour at The Underground, nearly two weeks after the record, East of the Sun, graced our ears in full. A collaborative tour with Bristol-based Ålesund, fans flocked to the Morley Street venue for a spellbinding observation of fierce female empowerment as three phenomenal frontwomen took to the stage.
“It always rains when I’m on stage,” Kez Liddle tells me ahead of her set. It’s a comical coincidence, since it was when I was watching her Lymelight performance that I was forced to duck into a nearby charity shop to buy a £4.99 umbrella. “It serves me right for writing so many songs about the weather, I suppose,” she added, the winds picking up as we headed indoors.
Kez stands alone holding her acoustic guitar as she opens with Narcissus, wearing what’s become her signature shades of black and earthy mushroom tones – the Wednesday Addams to her sister Mara’s technicolour outfit choices. She fingerpicks her way through the gorgeously gloomy set of solemn songs and vulnerable lyrics as she continues with Until You, November and Nothing Nice.
Kez’ haunting vocals and folksy guitar remind me of Daughter. She barely moves a muscle on stage – soft spine-tingling vocals see the entire room transfixed in silence – if someone were to shuffle their feet or take a sip of their drink, they’d run the risk of being louder than her.
The 24-year-old keeps the conversation between tracks brief, but injects humour into her anecdotes as she admits that Like A Dream was secretly written after watching King Kong, before telling the audience: “I’ve been Kez Liddle… I’ll continue to be Kez Liddle after this set…” gently plucking her way through the final track, Older.
Bristolian five-piece Ålesund brought their expansive alt-pop sound to the stage, and as soon as frontwoman Alba Torriset opened her mouth to set-starter Thrive, it was immediately realised why she and Megan had joined unreckonable forces. These powerful women are cut from the same cloth.
Soaring vocals supported by rolling drums, intricate guitar work and atmospheric keys, feminist anthem All Hail To Your Queen came next, which felt particularly poignant on a bill full of babes, followed by Lightning, which considers the feelings surrounding making big life decisions.
Devotion made its live debut which sees the band grow into a grungier sound that they’ve curated for stage in comparison to earlier recorded tracks, as well as their most recent release Never Enough, and Rode Off Into The Sun, which is to be released next Friday.
Half-Norwegian, Alba brings a sort of free-spirited Scandi vibe to her music that’s reminiscent of AURORA or Florence and the Machine, with instinctive melodies and a breathtaking vocal tone. The way in which she performs her songs in her movements and expressions comes from somewhere deep within, and it’s something that audiences really seem to relate to on a profoundly spiritual level.
A barefoot Megan Dixon Hood steps onto the stage wearing a paisley-patterned kimono in stunning earthy tones, opening with the album’s titular track, East of the Sun, flowing seamlessly into The Garden.
Over the last three years in particular, Megan’s following has grown more and more devoted as the Bollington-based musician began her lockdown live streaming sessions, recording more than 100 home gigs each Friday night for her fans. Her last show at The Underground was in September 2021 under Covid-19 restrictions, so it felt incredibly special for her to be back on the stage performing live without limitations.
The primal drums of Athena rumble with feminine energy, followed by the hauntingly cinematic The Wishing Tree and Third Lung, which showcases the emotive and exhilarating sound world of Megan’s dark and ethereal forest pop.
Megan Dixon Hood beholds the sonic ability to cultivate connection, her energy and passion is bright while her moody soundscape draws attention to serious issues like climate change in a way that’s accessible and inspiring. She brings to life a world of folklore and mystique in a way that makes it feel almost tangible.
She takes to the keys for tracks Wolves and Drown – the only two in the set not from the new album – adding even more drama to the theatrical performance. In a way, Megan becomes these characters on stage – like St Lucia – and through her vivid and aerial vocals and meticulous research, she is able to tell their story as if it were straight from the horse’s mouth.
East of the Sun was performed in its entirety, and it was spectacular to visualise how each of these songs came together, from the brooding basslines and betwitching riffs to the dark gothic storytelling and nature-miming percussion that at time seems to replicate the sounds of rain, hail and thunder.
But that’s just what Megan Dixon Hood’s music is – a storm – a warning from Mother Nature through dark, gothic storytelling and an extraordinarily enchanting, all-encompassing performance.
The Megan Dixon Hood and Ålesund tour continues around the UK, including Sheffield, Bristol. London, Folkstone, East Sussex, Wales and Milton Keynes. You can read our review of Megan’s album here.
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