Rescue Rooms was buzzing as LYVIA took to the stage with support from an exciting mix of emerging talent: Nikko, Courtney and JayaHadADream. The night was an energetic celebration of diverse styles, each act bringing their own flavour before LYVIA delivered a performance that will be long remembered by her hometown crowd…
First up to start off an exciting night was Nikko (above), whose 20-minute performance set the tone for the evening with infectious positivity. His hip-hop flows, paired with uplifting energy, kept the crowd engaged as he bounced around the stage with confidence.
His stage presence was undeniable, and you could feel the fun he was having as he performed his final track, Temperature. Wiping his face with a towel, he reminded the audience, “time flies when you’re having fun,” leaving everyone in a great mood for what was to come.
Courtney (below) was next, taking the audience on an emotional journey with her smooth vocals and thoughtful lyrics. Starting with the empowering That Girl, she set the mood, telling the crowd, “we’re all that girl even on the days we need to be reminded.”
A standout moment came when she transitioned into the acoustic section of her set with the heartfelt Can’t Be Mad, a song about wanting more from a relationship. She kept the energy flowing, balancing introspective ballads with more upbeat tracks, including an unreleased song which dropped on Friday, and finishing with the sultry Hypnotic.
JayaHadADream’s (below) set was so engaging, it was hard to remember to take notes for this review. With tracks like Force, Stubborn, and Twiggy, she had the crowd fully immersed.
Sporting a Bob Marley T-shirt, she moved effortlessly between powerful lyrics and fun moments, like getting the audience to chant “Olly olly olly, oi oi oi!” during Sick of the Chatter. At one point, she commented, “if it wasn’t for Nottingham, I wouldn’t be doing this,” giving the local crowd an extra reason to cheer.
The set ended with the powerful Redemption Songs, although a brief microphone issue caused a pause. She handled it with humour, saying, “first time for everything - let’s try that again,” before performing the song in full and finishing the set on a high note.
By the time LYVIA hit the stage, the atmosphere was electric. Clearly emotional and excited, she told the crowd, “I’ve cried five times already,” as she sipped tequila from her mug, setting the tone for an intimate yet high-energy performance.
Rock With Me from her recent debut EP Maid Marian Way came early in the set, as she took the audience on a deeply personal journey, sharing the stories behind her songs in between performing them. From the struggles expressed in Barriers to the heartache in Heaven Knows, written for a friend at the front of the crowd, LYVIA bared her soul on stage.
Highlights also included Bounce, which was more upbeat and featured more drums on the live version, a new song titled Flight With My Ex, and Bumblebee, an unrehearsed but fan-requested track that had the audience hanging onto every word.
She brought humour and warmth to the room, with stories about past relationships, including a hilarious mention of the only guy she has ever dated, named Henry...
He was standing right next to me in the crowd at the time and cheered loudly in support.
Her performance was uplifting throughout; a fan who had just asked someone else in the crowd to be their girlfriend gave LYVIA a pride flag to hold while singing the lyric, “Is home a place or a person?”, before the singer revealed, “This is something I used to hide about myself and I’ve created a space where I don’t need to.”
The hometown love was palpable during the track Nottingham City, which she dedicated to her roots. The crowd then clapped along in perfect time for the infectious Trippin, with LYVIA even coming down into the audience to make a TikTok video mid-performance.
The energy peaked as she closed the night with this track, followed by a brief encore moment that turned into a dance party on stage with all the support acts, musicians and DJs joining in, with chants of her name echoing through Rescue Rooms as the set ended.
Her final words, “everyone, get home safe,” were a fitting close to a show filled with heart, community, and celebration. It was clear to everyone in the room that LYVIA had just delivered one of the best performances of her life.
LYVIA performed as Rescue Rooms on 16th October 2024, with support from Nikko, Courtney and JayaHadADream.
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