You never would’ve thought that Lana Del Rey’s melancholic and whimsical vocals and lyrics would mesh well in a stadium, yet somehow it did. It was all thanks to a country house that was something out of a Little House on the Prairie, a swing, a ton of greenery that was like something out of a fairytale and of course those lovely vocals of Lana’s.

A gorgeously haunting set by supporting act BANKS, who released her fifth studio album “Off with Her Head” earlier this year, got fans warmed up. The songstress deserves her flowers as she did a great job with her set that was almost reminiscent of Lana’s cinematic and melodramatic style.

The stage was truly a sight to behold with some incredible acrobatics, whimsical dancers, stunning backing vocals and a mini orchestra adding visual layers and depth to Lana’s lyrics. Lana herself looked every bit a southern belle with her 50’s style dress and bows in her hair.

The set was admittedly short, lasting around 90 minutes and left fans wanting more. Given that Lana wouldn’t be Lana without her cinematic lyrics and compelling music videos, having a standard movie length set didn’t seem out of the ordinary for her.

Opening with “Stars Fell on Alabama”, a yet to be released track, fans had little choice but to be intrigued as to where the show could go. With the country scene on stage and country tone Lana taps into throughout the set seems to hint at a country album being on the way.

Photo credit: Almira Khojalakova

The further into the show Lana went, the more she blossomed. A smile barely left her face as she treated fans to new tracks as well as the classics. A long time Liverpool and Celtic supporter, it’s clear as day that Lana was having the time of her live, even more so when it’s revealed that Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish was in the audience. The fans were left breathless, literally and metaphorically as Lana went back to her roots with the likes of “Chemtrails Over the Country Club”, “Ultraviolence”, “Ride” and her breakthrough hit that got herself and fans alike to where they were, “Video Games”.

After a brief interlude in which the Prairie house ‘burns down’ and a holographic Lana delivered a melancholic and melodramatic monologue, the real Lana reappears donning a red version of her southern belle dress. The audience barely stopped to catch their breath as they belted along to the classics such as “Young and Beautiful”, “Summertime Sadness” and “Born to Die”. Lana’s stunningly smoky vocals were
accompanied by dramatic red lighting, sensual dancing and beautiful harmonies of the backing singers as she delivered a truly magnetic and captivating show.

As the night drew to a close with a fun cover of iconic “Country Road”, it was abundantly clear that Lana had fans mesmerised from start to finish. Her elegance, beauty and amazing vocals had fans captivated and it’s plain to see why they can’t get enough of her. This tour seems to be catapulting Lana into a new era. The Prairie house, 50s style outfit and soft, country songs making their debut, the ‘Brooklyn Baby’ is no more new identity and cowgirl Lana looks here to stay. At least for now.

Live review by Kaya McNeil-Simms

THE SONGBIRD HQ