Finding fame on TikTok after the release of ‘Coffee’ and supporting The 1975 on their UK tour in 2020 – as well as them lending a hand in her most recent musical forays – Beabadoobee (aka Beatrice Kristi Laus) has been making waves with her unique brand of preppy-pop cuts. Finding her home at Dirty Hit (The 1975, Pale Waves, Wolf Alice), Beabadoobee has two albums and a handful of dazzling EPs under her belt.
Touring in support of her latest full-length release, Beatopia, Beabadoobee puts on the show of a lifetime at Manchester’s Academy venue. With a setlist over 20 songs long and jam-packed with the highlights of her musical discography, Beabadoobee boasts impressive vocals and an infectious stage presence in her energetic set.
Before Bea’s performance, the American Indie rock outfit Pretty Sick took to the stage. Their half-hour set was filled with insatiable punk-rock energy as the band showed off the best they had to offer – including their most popular cut ‘Dumb’. With their electric set, the trio amply excited the crowd for the main event.
Opening with a nostalgic dive into her earlier releases – Bea kicked off the night with new cut ’10:36’ before quickly diverting to her 2019 fan-favourite ‘Apple Cider’. Met with a positive response, Bea had impressive control over the crowd (despite minimal interaction aside from the occasional “Hello Manchester”) as the emotive lyrics of the track were echoed back to the singer (“And I don’t even like you that much / Wait, I do, fuck”).
Sandwiched between newer tracks ‘Fairy Song’, ‘Worth It’ and ‘The Perfect Pair’, fans found themselves entranced by Beabadoobee’s rendition of ‘Charlie Brown’. Plucked from her debut album, the track finds its roots in classic indie rock. Featuring growling basslines and verbose lyricism from the star it took its place as the most impressive energy-laden performance of the night.
Taken from Our Extended Play, the glittering guitar lines of ‘He Gets Me So High’ stood in perfect contrast to the thrumming bass of ‘Yoshimi, Forest, Magadelene’ where Bea declares in sync with thousands of fans “And I Think I Wanna Marry Him”.
At no surprise to the crowd, it wasn’t long before Beabadoobee performed ‘She Plays Bass’ in which she chases a crush and battles with self-identity. Positively upbeat, the track was met with a wild response as Bea’s and the crowds’ vocals were almost inseparable.
Rounding off the night and consisting of ‘Coffee’, ‘Ripples’, and the gritty ‘Cologne’, Bea’s encore only left fans wanting more.
With a perfect selection of tracks from across her discography, Beabadoobee pleased fans old and new – if this live performance was anything to go by, the singer will be gracing stages for years to come.
Words and photographs by Lana Williams
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Thanks for the positive review, but for the record, Bea is British/Filipino not American.