The Utilita Arena Cardiff fills up with excited fans, each dressed to impress: some don pink lace and bows in their hair, while others go all out in head-to-toe black. There is an electric buzz in the air, and there is no mistaking why: Melanie Martinez is in town, and everyone knows they’re in for a night unlike any other.
The night kicks off with Californian solo artist Sofia Istella, who commands the stage as a one-woman show, captivating us with her impressive vocals. She’s here, then she’s there – a volcano of energy, keeping everyone on their toes and switching deftly between violin and guitar, Istella hypes up the crowd for what’s to come.
Canadian Emma Harvey aka Elita is accompanied by a charismatic band, and brings a different kind of energy to the stage. Harvey’s haunting voice transports the audience into a dreamy soundscape, and the entire performance feels like a musical journey to another dimension, one filled with emotion and a certain heaviness.
The lights go out, and the crowd erupt with deafening excitement, a powerful sound that continues throughout the night. Sporting her iconic black-and-white hairstyle, Melanie Martinez appears, stepping onto the stage like a pop dream, high on a platform, and immediately dives into signature song Cry Baby. Her entrance alone is enough to send the audience into a frenzy, but Martinez takes her fans on a journey through her musical career, from her mid-2010s Cry Baby era (see also Sippy Cup and Pity Party) onwards.
Each song is accompanied by twisted fairytale visuals and haunting music-box sounds, adding depth to the storytelling in her lyrics. Martinez’s K-12 era yields fan favourites like Teacher’s Pet and Lunchbox Friends, with an immersed crowd singing along to every word, and the final part of the night focuses on the latest album Portals. Here, Martinez embraces a more experimental sound and look – donning an alien-inspired costume for performances of Spider Web and Evil, taking her fans into an entirely new realm of sound and style.
As much as the show aims for an all-encompassing experience, at times the setlist feels overwhelming and might have benefited from more breathing room. Still, the audience doesn’t seem to mind, soaking up every song with joy and enthusiasm, while costume changes find Martinez’s dancers keeping us entertained with interpretive interludes exploring themes of love, life, and death. The show feels like Melanie Martinez’s vision brought to life, with every detail carefully considered and with results resembling performance art as much as a typical concert.
The only drawback is the Utilita Arena’s muffled sound quality, particularly during the opening acts. Once Melanie took the stage, though, the energy was so high that this flaw was quickly forgotten. Fans leave the arena buzzing, humming the hits and discussing their favourite moments: a night to remember in Cardiff.
Melanie Martinez, Elita + Sofia Istella, Utilita Arena Cardiff, Tue 24 Sept
words EWA PAŁKA