Words and Photography: Izzy Bassett

As Taylor Swift would say, amongst the ponchos, makeshift bin bag raincoats and freak hail downpours, Reneé Rapp fans survived the Great War from the queue on Camden High Street. Friendship bracelets were exchanged, flags handed out, and cardboard taken from the Morrisons car park to fashion signs as the queue extended for miles outside the North London venue. 

The rounded venue teemed with anticipation as Towa Bird set the tone for the night. Female angst ran wild through the mass of fans as she charged the stage like it was her own tour. Bodies were pressed against bodies, so tight arms could barely move as the houselights went down and an overload of screaming started. Reneé bound onto stage with her song ‘Talk Too Much’ and that was when I knew I had never been a part of a louder, more heartbroken crowd.

Each song was accompanied by a video with different digital art that represented something in the song. The vibrancy of colours and symbolisation made for a sensory-appeasing night. Reneé went on to sing her tracks, ‘Poison, Poison’ which elicited some kind of fire within each person in that room and ‘Bruises’ performed for the first time ever in London last year before being put out the album. For many of us either sobbing or screaming, it felt like a full circle moment.  

Reneé Rapp is not one to shy away from her vocal range which was apparent on Saturday. After months of touring the US and Europe, she still manages to play around with the notes adding flare and an incredible range making each performance so individual that, to no one’s surprise, it lives up to and goes beyond her studio recordings. ‘In the Kitchen’ was a vocal masterpiece, the TikTok viral song sung live wrapped around the arteries leaving nothing but Reneés mix of belting and sickly sweet riffs to cushion the blow.

The simmering synth-pop songwriter bought the intimacy of a small venue to a new meaning, with constant fan participation although the show had to be stopped twice as Reneé made sure everyone was safe and looked after before continuing. Her performance of ‘Pretty Girls’ was like comfort food for the soul as her tour tradition dictates. Saturday was no different as she took a lesbian flag from the audience and danced around with it on stage, you could taste the love, acceptance and community in the room.

To sing one of her most popular songs ‘Tummy Hurts,’ she invited opening act Towa Bird to play guitar for her. By the end of the song, I’m sure that performance had become 90% of the crowd’s Roman empire. ‘Tummy Hurts’ was followed by a rendition of The Cranberries, ‘Linger’. Still joined by Towa, the pair made the esteemed track into an intimate ballard, soft and perfectly harmonised. The acoustics made for a complete (but welcome) tempo change as calm settled in the venue. 

The set drew to a close with her title track ‘Snow Angel’. Changing from her jean shorts and T-shirt combo into an all-white outfit, she stood in front of a pair of angel wings, pieces of snow falling around her. From seeing Reneé last year, the change in her performance was astounding. It felt like she had come into her own and brought a new level of creativity to the production. Watching smaller artists adapt and grow is one of the best parts of music and Reneé is no exception to that. 

Reneé Rapp’s most recent venture as Regina George in Mean Girls The Musical is now available to stream on Paramount+ and she will be returning to the UK in the summer to perform at Reading and Leeds festival.