Review: Pip Millett Live in Manchester

MusicReview

Nov 5

☆ By Grace Dodd ☆

THIS FEELS LIKE A MOMENT FOR PIP MILLETT - Not a loud, pronounced, extravagant moment. But an understated moment, a humble moment. It’s her hometown show, her closest friends and family stand in the balcony and the crowd feels like a blissful support system of their own.

Basking in the golden light of a beautifully-lit stage, Millett creates an atmosphere akin to an easy jazz club, the crowd lively and fun, the lights glowing orange, the neo-soul music awash over the audience. Millett and her band feel symbiotic, her voice simply another instrument on stage working in harmony with the band beside her. The show feels intimate and fresh, lacking the overly-choreographed, weathered nature of so many shows we see today. Millett’s setlist is expertly assembled, placing fan favourites like ‘Heavenly Mother’ beside new releases like ‘Slow’. There’s a balance to the setlist, to the whole show in-fact, no one hit offered precedence over others. And Millett’s infamous cover of Otis Redding’s ‘Try A Little Tenderness’? Transcendent.

There’s certainly a hesitancy in the opening fifteen minutes, Millett flicking between songs, lacking eye contact with the audience. But then she says a warm and welcoming ‘hello’, sharing anecdotes of ‘therapy and mushrooms’ and joking about how short her blue knit skirt is. And when Millett interacts with the audience, she shines. In fact, there’s a glow to the whole set. Whether it be the wonderfully crafted lighting, the ease in which Millett and her band move across the stage, or the constant smile on Millett’s face, the whole room seems to shine with a peaceful radiance.

Millett takes one particularly beautiful moment to speak about her Dad, who passed away when she was young, ‘I wish he could have known me as an adult’ she ponders calmly. The crowd explodes in support. Millett sheds a tear, admitting ‘I’m a really ugly crier!’ She seems genuinely grateful for this moment, for these people in the crowd and for the art she is able to create and share.

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫