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It’s difficult to imagine the landscape of British pop culture without Lily Allen, one of its most influential and, at times, divisive figures. She’s been making headlines since the release of her debut album Alright, Still in 2006, and now, 20 years later, she continues to exorcise her demons in public, for her latest record West End Girl.
West End Girl is a ferociously candid account of the ruptures and revelations leading to the collapse of a marriage. It is her big comeback, her renaissance, and it has been met with widespread acclaim – praised for its storytelling and Allen’s trademark candour. The Independent’s review called it a “brutal, tell-all masterpiece”.
On Monday night, Allen performed it in full at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, the opening show of a tour of UK theatres and her first proper live gig in seven years. It feels like an unconventional venue for a pop star, but what lies ahead is more like a one-woman play. Allen turns out to be her own support act, in a way, as three cellists play instrumental versions of her biggest hits. This karaoke session is messy, awkward and delightful, a singalong pub affair chanting “f*** you very, very much”. It is the prologue before ACT I begins.
The setlist unfolds in the same order as the album itself. We begin with the title track, “West End Girl”; strobe lights flash as Allen emerges from staged apartment scene, complete with shag carpet. Each song unfolds in this intimate setting, with the music played on a backing track paired with Allen’s crystalline vocals. There is a certain coyness to the delivery of her paradoxically confronting lyrics, the pain and heartbreak almost Disneyfied – “my marriage has been open since my husband went astray” – as she modestly sways between lamp fixtures to the synth-pop of “Dallas Major”.
Lily Allen performs on the opening night of her ‘West End Girl’ tour (Henry Redcliffe)
The theatre direction of this tour somewhat confines Allen when it comes to any sense of spontaneity, yet her superb storytelling and stage presence make for a captivating watch – the jaunty song arrangements and subtle humour soften the blow of each song’s dark truth. Phone torches illuminate the concert hall as she reaches her penultimate song, “Let You W/In”, the audience serving as spectators to Allen’s reclamation.
It is absolutely no surprise that Allen is currently in talks to modify West End Girl into a proper stage play. Her tour shows it’s almost there already, a blend of concert and play, in which Allen plays the starring role. It takes real skill to transform cataclysmic hurt and betrayal into something so dazzling.