NINA NESBITT // THE ACADEMY, MANCHESTER

SCOTTISH SINGER SONGWRITER NINA NESBITT RETURNS TO MANCHESTER TO PLAY INTIMATE SHOW

★★★★★

Nina Nesbitt returns to Manchester to play an intimate show at The Academy, Nina sailed straight into the first song of her set 'Sacred' filling fans with a warm buzz of excitement for the night ahead. The song followed by one of most recent singles 'The Moments I'm Missing'.

Nina then takes us on a journey back almost four years with probably two of her best-known songs 'The Apple Tree' and 'Stay Out'.  The joyous atmosphere has gig-goers dancing and singing along. You can't help but feel pure pride circle the room as Nina Nesbitt's beautiful raspy Scottish tones are complimented by the Manchester audience, especially during one of well-known hits 'Stay Out'.

With a capacity of 650, The Academy hosted an almost-intimate show, with Nina really interacting with her audience. Her honest and moving words resonate through both her lyrics and the stories and reasoning she has behind her work, that she openly shares throughout the night. Although, not yet released, 'Colder' seemed to be crowd favourite of the night, with fans cheering her on and oozing an abundance of love for her. Showing a vulnerable side, she tells us the song is about "getting your heart broken for the very first time and becoming a cold b***h". During this song, Nina captivates the whole room, turning the roar of love and adoration for her into a magical silence; her fans wholly in awe of her newly found sound.

Nina Nesbitt has come a long way from her peroxide locks and titled album, showing growth in both her song writing and appearance. Moving from a major record label to that of an indie one might have been a bold move but one which has paid off for our Scottish Lass. As well as looking feisty yet polished with her slick and short brunette bob, leopard vest paired with pearls and gorgeous blue satin trousers, she looked content. It was easy to see how much she enjoyed playing every minute of the gig, which was a very special feeling, unlike most overproduced pop sets. Instead, Nina makes great use of the space, even visiting the audience down on their level. Because of this interaction and how she effortlessly showcases her raw and real personality, is partly how she gives such a stellar performance – you can't help but relate to her in some way.

One song in particular had every member of the audience in applause and with nearly 10 million streams on Spotify you wouldn’t have expected this song to go down any other way. 'The Best You Had' was a perfect mid-gig song with its piano-led pop vibes and catchy drum loops.

If you weren't already in love with Nina Nesbitt's laid-back, charismatic and personable character, this was the song to do it for you. Her emotional rendition was worthy of the lump stuck in the back of my throat and the wave of a thousand sharp pricks, clouding my eye with that one solitary tear.

Nina rounds off her cleverly executed set of old and new tunes with 'Loyalty' and 'Somebody Special' before being chanted back onto the stage for "one more tune".

You can expect to see the new Nina Nesbitt Album hit the shelves in later this year!

NINA NESBITT'S TOUR CONTINUES:

REVIEW BY: LEWIS ROBERTS