ANNE MARIE | LIVE REVIEW
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Fri 24 May
If Taylor Swift had been born in Essex, she might have been called Anne Marie. The two pop princesses have a mutual pal and co-writer in Ed Sheeran, and have amassed armies of teen fanatics with their arsenals of chart-savvy pop tunes that preach self-acceptance and reject rubbish boyfriends. But one thing her US twin hasn’t got is Marie’s humble brand of homegrown charm.
The Motorpoint must seem like a step down following Anne Marie’s support slot on Sheeran’s recent stadium tour, though you’d never guess it from the way she bounces around the stage like a coiled spring. Her three-man backing band do a solid job at giving life to the polished studio tracks, stepping out of the shadows only for an occassional over the top guitar solo. They’re wise to stay out of the way – each crescendo comes with a flurry of wild high kicks from Marie (an actual karate world champion, by the way).
Summery nostalgia bop 2002 has the entire arena dancing along, despite half the crowd not being born then, let alone old enough to appreciate the NSYNC and Britney references. David Guetta collab Don’t Leave Me Alone is throwaway electronic dance music that is equal parts fun and forgettable. Marshmallo superhit Friends makes for a ridiculously fun closer, and thankfully isn’t preluded by the predictable gig ritual of a pre-planned encore. Maybe she’s being wary of young fans’ bedtimes, but I suspect Anne Marie is just getting started.
words and photos JASPER WILKINS