By Eve Davies, Music Co-Deputy Editor
It has been a series of boiling hot days in Bristol recently, so the thought of standing indoors in a sweaty crowd was not exactly at the top of my list. Luckily, MARINA’s show at Bristol Beacon made it more than worthwhile.
After applying glitter to my eyelids and praying that it would survive the heat, we walked over to the venue, just in time to catch the opener. If you’re ever inclined to skip an opening act (which I will never encourage), do not skip MARINA’s. I’ve never seen a better fit than Mikayla Geier.
Dressed in a red sparkly two-piece, Mikayla jumped and kicked across the stage while performing her fun pop songs with infectious energy. My personal favourite, and one I had already heard online, was ‘Piano in the Sky’, in which she relatably sings about being unable to find the one. She also performed a brilliant Kylie Minogue cover, which had the whole crowd singing along. For an opener, the staging was genuinely impressive, and her final song, ‘Diva’, came with an encouragement to “shake some ass”. My friend, albeit a few cocktails deep, described the whole thing as “euphoric” and immediately got on Instagram to give her a follow.
The crowd, now sufficiently warmed up, got ready for MARINA. She entered singing the title track from her new album, Princess of Power. The whole show was space-themed, following the Princess of Power as she made her way through different worlds. I love a concept album and the space visuals really brought the record to life. Then came my personal favourite MARINA song, ‘Are You Satisfied?’, to which I, embarrassingly, belted every word. My thirteen-year-old self would have been so jealous.
The set had a great mix of newer and older tracks, which made the whole night feel both nostalgic and fresh. ‘CUNTISSIMO’ was a fun, catchy earworm, while ‘BUTTERFLY’ was my personal highlight from the new album, bringing a softer energy to the set. Throughout the show, she looked amazing, danced effortlessly, and carried the stage with complete confidence. For some of the songs, she had a beautiful pink ribbon microphone stand, which added to the whimsy and matched the album cover.
The older songs, unsurprisingly, drew some of the loudest reactions. The odd, wonderful ‘Hermit the Frog’ was another highlight — can you tell my favourite album is her debut? — and the crowd was especially loud for ‘Primadonna’, which still sounds as brilliant as ever. ‘Man’s World’ was sung beautifully, giving the set a more grounded moment before it launched back into pure pop spectacle, while the mash-up of ‘METALLIC STALLION’ and Madonna’s ‘Hung Up’ (the greatest pop song of all time, according to me) was one of the set’s best moments.
Dabrowka Nowak
I haven’t had this much fun at a show in a long time. MARINA delivered a playful performance, full of theatricality. It was silly in the best way, but sincere when it needed to be. Check out her latest album and make sure to catch her next time she comes to Bristol.
Featured Image: Epigram / Eve Davies
Have you checked out MARINA’s latest album?
