Freya Ridings w/ Amber Run @ Beacon, Bristol - 28/09/26
Freya Ridings mesmerises with a raw, powerhouse performance of pure vocal brilliance and intimate piano artistry.
Tonight is a special night for music lovers, for Freya Ridings is marking a trilogy of performances in the city of Bristol – her first gig here in the city being at Thekla back in 2017, followed by a show at the SWX in 2019 as part of her first headline UK tour and tonight, a sold-out show at the Bristol Beacon as part of her Mother of Pearl tour, with support from Nottingham based indie rock band, Amber Run.
From the opening notes, Amber Run establish an atmosphere that feels immersive rather than immediately explosive. The band's arrangements leave plenty of space for the vocals, allowing the lyrics to carry their emotional weight before the instrumentation gradually builds around them. It is a formula the band know well, but on stage it feels considerably more organic than it might on record. Their songs have always occupied that space between intimacy and grandeur, where quiet moments can suddenly explode into towering walls of sound. Live, that contrast becomes even more pronounced, turning the concert into an emotional journey rather than simply a run-through of songs.
The audience response is equally telling. There is a reverence during the quieter songs, but when the opening notes of a favourite arrive, that silence gives way to enthusiastic singalongs. It is a reminder that Amber Run's music has developed a life beyond the recordings themselves. These are songs that people have attached memories, experiences and emotions to. But it is ultimately the emotional peaks that define the night. Amber Run are at their best when they allow a song to develop slowly, resisting the temptation to rush towards the inevitable climax. And when that climax eventually arrives, the payoff feels earned. There is a cinematic quality to the band's music, but live it becomes something more immediate.
By the closing stages, it is clear that Amber Run understand their audience. They do not simply deliver the songs people came to hear; they create the conditions for those songs to mean something all over again. The result is a performance that balances melancholy with euphoria, vulnerability with sheer musical force. Amber Run may specialise in emotionally charged indie music, but tonight they demonstrate that emotional music does not have to mean subdued music. At their most powerful, they can fill a venue with sound and, more importantly, with feeling. It is this combination that makes Amber Run such an effective live band. Their songs are intimate, their performances are expansive, and somewhere between the two, the audience finds itself completely absorbed.
There are some artists who can make a large room feel strangely intimate, and Freya Ridings has built a career around doing exactly that. Live, her music takes on an even greater sense of scale: piano-led melodies, ukulele tracks, soaring vocals and deeply personal lyrics combine to create a performance that feels both polished and remarkably human. The stage set up features a minimalist and intimate design - a lone piano on the stage, surrounded by oyster shells of varying sizes, lit up by matching lights. The first song of the night, ‘Wicker Woman’, is from her latest album, Mother of Pearl which is followed by ‘A Face In The Crowd’. From the opening moments, Ridings commands the stage without relying on theatrics. Her presence is understated, allowing the songs themselves to do most of the talking. When the arrangements swell, however, that restraint gives way to something much more powerful. Her voice moves effortlessly from delicate, almost conversational passages into huge, emotionally charged peaks, demonstrating why her live performances have become such a compelling part of her appeal.
‘Euphoria’ and ‘I Have Always Loved You’ are the next tracks from the latest album and bring about tremendous applause from the audience from the very first notes – this audience definitely love this new album. Ridings’ engagement with the audience is very touching, she reminds us all of her first performance at Thekla and how much she loves this city – cue more thunderous applause from the sold-out venue. The quieter moments are arguably the most effective. With the production stripped back, the focus falls squarely on Ridings' voice and piano, and songs that can sound beautifully produced on record suddenly feel more exposed. There is a vulnerability to these performances that draws the audience in rather than simply asking for their attention. ‘Dancing In The Kitchen’ sees Ridings joined on stage by folk singer, musician and husband, Ewan J Phillips, with Phillips on acoustic guitar and Ridings on ukulele and they deliver a powerful performance.
Elsewhere, the set demonstrates that Ridings is capable of moving beyond the melancholy ballads with which she is most strongly associated. The more upbeat material, like ‘Wild Horse’ and ‘R U O K?’ brings a welcome change of pace, giving the audience opportunities to sing along and allowing Ridings to reveal a lighter, more playful side of her performance. What makes the evening work particularly well is the contrast between those two sides of her music. The big moments are genuinely big, but they are made more effective by the intimacy that surrounds them. There is no need for excessive spectacle when the songs themselves can create such a strong emotional response.
The audience response reflects just how strongly the songs connect. There is a noticeable attentiveness during the quieter performances, followed by eruptions of recognition when the opening notes of the bigger favourites arrive. It becomes less like watching an artist perform a collection of songs and more like sharing a series of memories with a room full of strangers. Tonight, Ridings has demonstrated both sides of her musical personality: the vulnerable songwriter sitting behind a piano and the commanding vocalist capable of filling a venue with sound – ‘If This Is A Dream’ from the new album is fresh testimony to this. The strongest performances manage to combine the two, turning personal stories into communal experiences. With a playful and cheeky grin, she jokes with the audience, saying “I’ve got two more songs for you, I wonder if you know what they are?”.
And then comes ‘Lost Without You’, the song that remains one of Ridings' defining moments. Tonight, its emotional impact is difficult to ignore. The familiar piano introduction immediately changes the atmosphere in the room, while Ridings gradually builds the song from something intimate into a full-bodied vocal showcase. Rather than simply reproducing the studio recording, she gives the performance room to breathe, allowing the final sections to hit with considerably more weight – this is a truly phenomenal performance of her greatest song to date. Freya Ridings' greatest strength remains her ability to make emotional honesty feel powerful rather than sentimental. Tonight, that quality translates exceptionally well to the stage. There are spectacular vocal moments, certainly, but it is the quieter passages, when everything is stripped back and there is nowhere for the emotion to hide, that linger the longest. And what better way to end tonight’s performance than with a song that will haunt these walls for quite some time to come – ‘Castles’ receives a huge cheer, with the audience joining in with synchronised clapping.
For an artist whose songs have always been about vulnerability, connection and resilience, the live setting proves to be a natural home. Ridings does not need to overwhelm the audience. She simply gives the songs space to speak, and when that voice rises, the room listens.
Freya Ridings, Bristol eagerly awaits your return!
