TomTalks #26: Rina Sawayma-Hold The Girl Tour, Birmingham (Versatility and Great Energy For All to Enjoy)

 

Welcome back to Tom Talks, as today we discuss a brilliant show from Rina Sawayama. Fresh off the release of her second studio album 'Hold The Girl,' Rina went out on tour beginning in the U.K. She rocked up to the 02 Academy in Birmingham and put on a stunning show, highlighting why her music resonates with so many fans.

While the wait in the queue was long and I got soaked in the rain, all that was forgotten about as we were greeted by the first support act Tom Rasmussen. They knew how to get the crowd hyped, dancing across the stage and singing their heart out on songs like 'Dysphoria' and 'This Is How We Walk on the Moon.' Their music had an important message, with danceable pop beats, and showed other support acts I've seen how it's done.

Tom Rasmussen (Support Act)

They were followed by Josef, a talented artist who has been making waves in the last few years. He is set to go out on tour next year, with his debut album out in January. His performances of 'Does It Make You Feel Good?' and the anthem 'The Sun Is Up Forever,' were a sight to behold. The soulful vocals and great band showed what he's all about and will introduce him to an even bigger fanbase.

To have two highly talented musicians as support acts shows Rina's got her fingers on what's hot right now. As a pansexual artist herself, she's also given opportunities to fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the fans whether part of that community or not were very happy about that. To see this amount of openness and confidence shows we've come a long way in the younger generations, although there's still some work to do amongst the rest of society.

Joesef (Supporting Act)

After these two brilliant showings, we finally got to the main course, which was Rina Sawayama. It was an electric performance that highlighted her fantastic vocals, electric stage presence, and the two brilliant dancers who partnered her throughout the set. 

We started proceedings on a more ballad-like note, with the Garage-influenced orchestral cut 'Hold The Girl' and the noughties-inspired 'Catch Me In The Air, showing off Rina's high notes and the crowds'. These displayed that the fans, as well as Rina, were in for a great night of energy and passion.

It was quite cramped on the night, but the quality of the music on display kept us entertained. The energy was brought up a notch with the new single 'Frankenstein' and some Michael Jackson 'Thriller' esque moves. 'STFU!' gave us our first taste of the debut, with some punk energy on this nu-metal cut.

Something of the more electronic variety came in the form of 'Holy (Til You Let Me Go)' with its pulsating beat and church sounds matched by some angelic vocals. This highlighted the musical variety on offer and Rina's ability to adapt to different soundscapes.

Rina Sawayama

There was a plethora of outfits from cowgirl to elegant white dress, which was on display for the country ballad 'Send My Love To John.' She stood in the corner under a bright light, showing the importance of this ode to people accepting your sexuality. Rina spoke a lot about the album throughout, highlighting the difficulties she'd been through and the importance of it to her. It was a nice personal touch that made you feel good she was in a better place.

'Bad Friend' was another debut album fan favourite that provided an emotional number with plenty of fan interaction. She then briefly left the stage and we were treated to some Garage bangers like The Streets 'Has It Come To This' and Artful Dodger's 'Movin Too Fast.' These were then reincorporated into 'LUCID' making for an absolute banger and crowd mover. 'Beg For You' got a similar reaction, showing why it had such a big impact on the charts.

Fans of 'SAWAYAMA' were treated to the slammer 'Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys)' which was choreographed to perfection and the nu-metal rocker 'XS,' which got fans grooving and singing in equal measure. The track needed no introduction with it being her most popular solo hit. After a brief outfit change to the cowgirl look, we were treated to the anthem 'This Hell' which is one of the best Pop songs of the year IMO and even better live. It closed off the set in style.

Rina Sawayama knows how to put on a show and alongside her support acts, shows the amount of talent in this country. Her ability to ride pop, country, dance, and nu-metal beats showed her talent and vocally she was on point. The crowd were fantastic and full of energy, showing their dedication to the artist and joy in being able to see her.

My complaints are how packed in the crowd was (a bigger venue maybe?), but this was minor. This was a fantastic show and showed why I have so much love for the 'Hold The Girl' record and she picked the best tracks from the self-titled debut. A fantastic night of music, get your tickets when she's next on tour.

4.5/5

Thanks for checking out this TomTalks, make sure to follow the Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest content. Also, follow the YouTube and if you want tickets to the World Tour, click here. Until next time, this has been another TomTalks!