SELF ESTEEM – live in Glasgow Barrowland

It felt like a shame that I come from a household of women and I was the only member of said household witnessing the phenomenon that is Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem and her gang rip the roof from the famous Barrowland Ballroom last week. An inspirational role model for women everywhere, and appearing in Glasgow during the week of International Women’s Day, when we can all come together to celebrate inspiring women the world over. I’d waited a long time for this moment, having had tickets twice before to see her in Glasgow only to miss out on both occasions due to work. Interestingly, also playing Glasgow in the same week was another role model for women everywhere, Lizzo, and all the while Glastonbury controversially planked its feet firmly in the past as it announced its all male headline acts. I am 100% certain that alongside another 2000 odd folk lucky enough to be in Barrowland, I was witness to the glorious sight and sound of a future Glastonbury headliner just a few feet in front of me.

I may have missed out on the Self Esteem live experience on previous occasions but from what I can gather from those I spoke to who have seen her before, this stood out as the best to date. That I could quite believe. I was blown away from the opening bars of Prioritise Pleasure and then held enraptured by Rebecca and Co for the entirety of their superb and inspirational set. I wasn’t the only one, as I looked around from stage left, the entire crowd had a uniform grin in their faces as they sang back every line of every song, right down to the barking at the end of I’m Fine, as well as dancing the night away, not stopping even when the lights came up to the strains of Shirley Bassey’s This is My Life. Rebecca herself seemed blown away by the reception. A couple of times taking a few well deserved moments to bask in the glow and the glory of the rapturous reception, finally playing on that Barrowland stage that eluded her during her Slow Club days. Her banter with the crowd had everyone eating out the palm of her hand for the duration, her wry humour coming into play when a sole male voice from a mostly female crowd shouted “I Love You”, for Rebecca to reply with an awkward smile, ” I love you too” before backing it up with a comment about all kinds of love being important…

Nothing was left to chance for the gig. Every single second was perfect. From the songs themselves, plucked from both her albums, the faultless harmonies and backing vocals that provided a perfect foil for Rebecca’s lead from the marvellous Levi, Mags and Seraphina, through the powerfully dramatic choreography incorporating several costume changes as part of it, through to the remarkable rhythm section and thunderous tribal drumming from Sophie and Mike. This show is not just a vehicle for Rebecca, this is an impeccably attuned unit, a benevolent and protective gang who have each others backs at all costs, who blend together into one single tight entity, with what feels a collective stream of consciousness, apparent through their utterly engaging performance on the Barrowland stage, nigh on impossible to tear your eyes away from the astonishing spectacle should you miss a second.

It is obviously no coincidence that Rebecca named her band as she did. There can be no-one who attended this gig who didn’t walk away with a huge smile on their face, a feeling of empowerment and a renewed sense of self worth and confidence. I’m acutely aware that I am not the target audience in respect of who the lyrics of the majority of the songs are aimed at (or maybe I am in a sense with some of the songs), however, as someone who has struggled with their own sense of self esteem, confidence and worth over most of the last 12 months, I can take strength and confidence from both the messages in the songs and the sheer positivity, spirit and aura that emanated from the Barrowland stage.