MAISIE PETERS: EDINBURGH, UK
Maisie Peters
at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, UK
words by Finola Clarke
Although it’s been three years since the COVID pandemic had a tight grip on the UK, it has only recently felt like certain things have regained their place; live music has fought its way out of the pandemic’s grip and back onto the stage. After seeing Maisie Peters in Edinburgh, I am very happy that it has.
When heading to Edinburgh I was unsure about how long I needed to queue for. I had standing tickets and didn’t know whether Peters burnt bright enough to warrant followers from near and far to stay and wait on the cobbles of Edinburgh just to get barricade at her show. After the short walk from Waverly my uncertainty was cleared up as a queue had apparently been forming from as early as midday (with doors not till 7pm and Peters herself not taking the stage until 9pm).
Walking past the queue to gain my spot in the back, there was a certain buzz and suspense in the air. The kind that only occurs when everyone is equally bored with waiting but giddy with excitement. The cobbles have become a home for everyone for at least these short few hours and everyone has their own spot and is deathly protective of it, but neighbourly friendliness is extended to your fellow campers. A throw away compliment of loving her outfit or a kind gesture of sharing water with someone.
Although I didn’t queue from midday it was thrilling to see the concert atmosphere already brewing before the doors even opened.
Once stood firmly in our spots it was only a matter of trying to pass the time before the support act came on stage. What’s fun about concerts is having cheerful little conversations with the people around you, when the two mates I was with nipped out I got to talking to the women behind me. In her pre-show playlist Peters played numerous Taylor Swift songs and this led to me overhearing the two women behind me saying Peters would be a great support act when Swift comes to the UK on her Eras tour. I turned around and told them I’ve been saying the exact same thing, and just like that three strangers shared a smile and a conversation all because we were here for the same thing.
Speaking of support acts, Maisie Peters chose an excellent opener. When going to concerts I always go in with the attitude of if I like the support act that’s a bonus and if I don’t know them, it’s a chance to find some new music. Peters’ support act definitely fell into the latter, Cate Canning.
This was my first introduction to Canning’s music, and I wish I had been introduced earlier. I always think being a support act is a tough gig as everyone is not necessarily there for you, but Canning made sure that even if you didn’t know her prior you left there searching her name into Spotify and googling her. Canning’s songs managed to capture that reckless feeling of being in your 20s and going on nights out and doing stupid things and accepting the consequences. Canning manages to capture all the chaos and crying of your 20s, a standout song was Can’t Wait To Be Pretty. Her lyrics and her voice and the conviction with which she sang, I was googling hoping that Canning had an upcoming headlining show that I could go to.
Onto the main event, Peters herself. Entering the stage to One Direction’s Best Song Ever is the perfect choice of song to introduce her setlist to. Peters’ is phenomenal on stage and her discography backs her up. Peters has this stage presence that makes you believe that she belongs absolutely no where else but the stage, she’s so at ease and exudes this confidence that at one point made me think that The Assembly Rooms was too small a venue for her.
Peters’ aura almost seemed to be overflowing the stage afforded to her and I could just see her taking to much larger stages, like the ones she performed on when supporting Ed Sheeran on his Divide world tour. Except instead of the opener Peters would be playing these stadiums as a headliner. I guess this prophecy is being fulfilled as Peters does have a Wembley show coming up on November 3rd to celebrate her upcoming album The Good Witch.
Back to the here and now, Peters strutted across the stage singing sounding just like the studio version and better. Canning joined Peters on stage for a rendition of Cate’s Brother which is written about Canning’s brother, setting a very fun and playful tone for the evening. The rehearsed strides and spins on the stage made it feel like two girls playing at being stars, it was wonderful to see such playfulness paired with such talent. It felt like we were seeing dreams become reality.
Throughout her show Peters was endearingly engaging and relating to her audience about the songs about boys of the past. It felt as if she was gossiping and ranting to the audience through her music making her stage presence large and small at the same time. Large in the sense that Peters seems to encompass the persona of a big stage performer but small in the sense that it felt like she wanted to see each audience member and make them feel as if they were the only one to hear her tribulations of her past.
I think Peters is a performer and songwriter who will continue to grow, her relatable lyrics paired with her feeling at ease on stage means that she is someone that is just impossible to ignore. I hope Peters only grows in popularity but perhaps selfishly I don’t because I want to still see her in smaller, cosier venues.