I arrived at Hangar 34 an hour before the show, wondering whether there might be a surprise support act that had not been announced, and turned the corner to a sight of a line of fans that was already long enough to end in a different postcode. The euphoria and anticipation made them immune to the temperamental Liverpool weather as they bravely faced the elements to be able to be as near to their idol as possible.

And it was a very special occasion; Mabel announced that her 2nd album's release will be accompanied by a series of 6 intimate gigs, with the inauguratory performance being the very show they were all queuing to see.  

Once inside, it turned out there was no supporting artist, but the crowd clearly did not need warming up. Mabel arrived to the sound of 'About Last Night' intro which was nearly drowned by the high pitched cheer that exploded from the audience the moment her troupe of 4 dancers and 2 backing singers set their foot on the stage. Due to the size of the venue and the intentional low key vibe, she did not have a band with her this time and all songs were performed to backing tracks. She walked on the stage confidently, wearing a blue satin, silver embroided loungewear style co-ord, and opened with the lines to the exhilarating first single of the album 'Let Them Know', her long braided hair swooshing around as she led her dancers throughout the carefully choreographed performance. This ultimate feel-good anthem has set out the mood for the gig as throughout the show Mabel offered a series of prompts about the importance of self-love and prioritising oneself, reminding the audience, as the lyric goes, that 'you’re that b*tch'

'Are you feeling good? I am so happy to see your faces. So as of today we have a number 2 album!!' announced Mabel and the cheer once again erupted from the crowd and indeed that is something to celebrate as her release burst into charts and is so far proving to be Mabel’s highest-rating to date, with only Harry Style's 'Harry's House' standing in her way to reach number 1

The show continued with 'Mad Love' and 'Finders Keepers' which naturally had the room burst with excitement.

The singer continued to treat us to 'Overthinking' and 'Let Love Go' at which point the fans had a rare privilege to come close with their idol as Mabel descended to the photographers pit and sang while holding hands with some lucky members of the audience. It was a lovely and very personal moment which defined the very premise of this intimate small venue tour. 

'Definition' has seen the crowd join in even more ferociously, 'you guys going crazy! Do you want to hear that one again?! There are a lot of Definitions in here!' 'Sing this $hit!' she shouted as the notes of 'Definition' resounded once again. 

Mabel seemed humbled and grateful as she continued to thank her fans once again for being there for her, knowing all her music and singing it back at her as soon as it is released and appreciating she would have never achieved all that she has if it wasn't for her followers. 'Your love has blown me away' she concluded. 

The 45min show ended with the smash hit 'Don't Call Me Up' which had the room bounce as this small venue filled with tens of voices one last time. Once Mabel wished everyone a great night and left the stage she had not returned, regardless of her fans relentlessly cheering for one more song even after the lights came on. But even without encore, the show was great fun and filled with a load of positive energy and messages and I would love to see this mix of high-octane performance and quieter more intimate moments to transcend to large arenas.