Alessi Rose 'for your validation' Tour

Alessi Rose

If you've been anywhere in the pop scene this last year, it would be near impossible to have missed Alessi Rose. The indie-pop singer has experienced a meteoric rise to the top of the music industry over the last year, which resulted in her huge 'for your validation tour' selling out in under 15 minutes.

It was early last year when I first heard Alessi's music, playing it on my Future Hits Radio show, which was also around the time Alessi played her first headline show at St. Pancras' Old Church. That night Alessi played to a crowd of around 100 adoring fans, providing an intimate setting to watch someone who seemed tailor-made to reach the very top. Fast-forward a year later, and I rather fittingly passed the Old Church on my way to Alessi Rose's 'for your validation' London show, only this time it would be a crowd of 1500-strong awaiting her at Camden's KOKO.

Walking into KOKO it was abundantly clear that this was about to be an 'I was there' moment. A mass of excited fans could be seen no matter which direction you looked, packing out KOKO to the brim for potentially the last intimate opportunity to see Alessi before she steps up to even bigger rooms. Huge singalongs were taking place even before Alessi took to the stage, with the crowd still riding high on the energy that tour support Chloe Slater had given them. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it in time for Chloe's set due to travel issues (Thanks TFL!), but overheard her receiving rave reviews from so many sections of the audience. With an already incredible discography under her belt, it feels like it is only a matter of time until she is headlining rooms this big herself.

By the time the lights dimmed for the night's headliner, KOKO was electric. "Forgive me father, for I have sinned" was heard through the PA system, being met with a riotous wave of cheers and screams, welcoming Alessi Rose to the stage. Rose, being joined by her multi-talented band, kicked straight into high-velocity track 'IKYK', which somehow kicked the crowd's energy into a whole new stratosphere. The chemistry Alessi and her band share is palpable, taking these pop-inspired tracks to even rockier levels. Stella Alkan's drums add a hard-hitting feel to the more upbeat tracks, backed up by Finn Zeferino-Birchall's slick basslines and Tom Gledhill's masterful guitar work, all led by Alessi Rose, who feels born to be front and centre of a stage.

'IKYK' was followed by 'eat me alive', the opening track on Alessi's first EP 'rumination as ritual'. This song has become a real favourite amongst the Alessi Rose fanbase, as shown by the deafening singalong that took place. What was perhaps most impressive about the crowd last night, at most concerts you will only hear true loud singing on the choruses, but the KOKO crowd were screaming back songs in their entirety as if their lives depended on it. In fact, a song didn't even need to be played to get a response of the adoring audience, providing one of the loudest cheers of the night whilst Alessi recalled playing the Old Church last year, thanking all in attendance for helping her grow so quickly. The whole show last night felt like a coming-of-age moment, and it was instances like this which really cemented that.

Following this moment of audience appreciation, Alessi would don her acoustic guitar to lead a thunderous singalong to 'don't ask questions'. Alessi spent the opening songs dancing across the stage like a natural-born performer, gaining ever-increasing reactions from her audience, which meant the moments where she stood still under single spotlights to sing her heart out were even more poignant.

The night's setlist was perfectly paced, combining songs across the different eras and genres of Alessi Rose's discography. The ballad-style 'don't ask questions' from Alessi's most recent EP 'for your validation' was quickly followed by the more indie-influences 'the pit' taken from her debut EP. The night continued in this way, blending newer songs with old as Alessi and her band proved they are just as capable of playing a well-balanced pop song as they are soft-rock and indie style releases. However, the standout performance of the night arguably fell into neither of these categories, as Alessi sat down to play a heartfelt piano-backed version of 'Lucy'. Such a performance would already have provided a poignant moment, yet the performance was made even more emotional when several audience members participated in a pre-planned fan project. A TikTok account called @lessirosefanproject had brough a bag full of red paper for concertgoers to cover their phone torches with for this song, creating a stunning sea of red lights that would shine on Alessi as she worked her way through the song. This not only created a memorable moment on the night, but also acts as a testament to the loyalty and commitment Alessi Rose's fanbase possess.