In the past couple of years Matilda Mann has made quite a splash in the music scene. One might argue the majority of us normal folks used our lockdown to drink a glass (ahem ahem …bottle) of wine every night and re-watch our childhood films of choice; however, Matilda spent hers writing a 14-track debut album called Rockwell.
Having spent the backend of last year opening for the current Gen-Z obsession Role Model on his ‘No Place like Tour’ UK Tour, she has taken her jazzy, folk-like poetry to the next level, headlining her own tour. Her night at KOKO was no exception, filled with her intricate lyricism and cinematic storytelling. If you swoon over the likes of Holly Humberstone and Sydney Rose you cannot pass up listening to Mann’s Rockwell.
The stripped back, festival feeling Jo Hill kicked off the night with 30 minutes of pure gold. With a collection of songs from her recently released album girlhood., Hill paints herself as wise beyond her years bringing a country-folk sound that blew the audience away. I watched as couples, best friends and strangers enthusiastically obliged; clapping, stomping and singing the chorus of ‘Zoom Out’ helping create the percussion for the song, whilst swaying with lights in the air to ‘Coming Home 2 U’.
I was blown away, not many supporting artists can make a concert feel like their own – Hill didn’t just ‘warm us up’, she imprinted into our heads. Her music seemed to join together a community of strangers taking ‘Pow Girl’ – a relatable girlhood anthem we can scream with the windows down to ‘Boys Cry Too’ – a harmony infused track showcasing how toxic masculinity restricts males from releasing their emotions. This being a true testament to a well rounded artist and not one that pigeon holes her focus points and abilities. I can assure you Hill is an artist to keep on your radar.
Next up is the main act herself. Matilda Mann took the stage (on time – thank you!) with two of her most anticipated high-energy, light-rock infused songs ‘Autopilot’ and ‘Dazed and Confused’. The sound soared as her band kicked into gear with Mann front and centre. Initially an innocent energy coated her – she was dressed in all white, wrapped in a bow with perfectly placed hair that didn’t lose its curls all night. However, everything quickly became a wonderful oxymoron. From the moment she strummed her guitar her natural effortless stage presence appeared along with a lower, jazzy register and the musical ability of a veteran guitarist. I was hooked, and not knowing whether she was going to break my heart or make me fall in love.
Mann flirted on and off with the mic all night using it as her weapon of choice, gracing us with very specific personal lyrics, ‘it was only yesterday/that we promised not to change/I’m so glad we kept our word ‘cause/being 23’s absurd/ we were girls first’. This is where her strength truly lies – she chats to the audience as if having an oat flat-white with a friend on a sunny morning. She wears a coat of awkward naivety when explaining the story behind ‘Japan’, sharing her need to adventure outside the usual box of what her peers want to do. Contrary to her hesitant tone on a topic so simple, there was not a stumble in sight whilst revealing the more mature love-story of her boyfriend and her.
This pivotal moment in the night arrived swiftly when a mini orchestra braced the stage; a trio of strings; ah yes – I was now falling in love. Dim lighting emerged and Mann perfectly created the feeling of a private concert. There was an intimacy to a now very different show and I watched as mesmerised, hypnotised looks braced couples and groups of friends for levels and levels up – she had them in the palm of her hands. Couples had scooched closer and shoulders had relaxed into the story of ‘Tell Me That I’m Wrong’ and ‘Everything I’m Not’ – I can still hear the lyrics ‘I could love you for forever if you tell me when to start’ echoing on repeat as I fall asleep. Mann put us in the exact moment of each song’s storytelling.
Mann’s strength is her ability to recreate every inch of feeling – specifically in Rockwell the feeling of falling for someone. It takes a brutally honest and brave artist to declare their love onstage over and over again without an ounce of superficiality or character-playing.
Two elements I must unapologetically share; an observation of the gig was the lack of phones I watched it through. In this current age of concerts there is a lack of moment seizing during live music events whereas both Mann’s and Hill’s performances were a refreshing exception to this. Secondly, KOKO’s sound system was meticulously balanced and should pose as an inspiration for venues around the UK!
Matilda continues the final dates of her tour in Europe this month before heading across the pond to New York. She’ll be back to headquarters in August for the Reading and Leeds festival, I would not miss this gig if I were you.
