By Sarah Hunt
“This is as home as it gets for me!” called out support act Heidi Curtis, who hails from North Shields, before explaining that she takes inspiration from storms, the weather and the sea. It was a fitting opening to Saturday night’s Mouth of the Tyne gig, given the downpour that kicked off the evening. But the sun came out for Curtis, who looked every bit the love child of Buckingham Nicks, all wild curls and long lace sleeves. “This is so beautiful,” she smiled, looking across the crowd.
Despite only releasing her debut EP, Hollow Heart, in May, Curtis appeared very much like an established star, with a natural, headliner energy that was all raw guitars, passionate lyrics and urgent vocals. Behind the Door, with its gothic references to ghosts and folklore, showcased the strength of her voice, while songs like Lost and Found and Undone nodded to Florence + the Machine, Kate Bush, country, rock and blues. Siren, she explained, was written in North Shields, which was met with warm applause. She’s come a long way from her early gigs at Tynemouth’s Lola Jeans, where she dreamt of playing the Mouth of the Tyne. Always a fan of the event, she now commanded its stage. Definitely one to watch.
Brooding skies threatened again as a line of women dressed as pilgrims took to the stage. Conjuring images of Salem, nuns and The Handmaid’s Tale, a chorus of “I do and I don’t care” rose before Self Esteem, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor, began an emotional spoken-word monologue. “If I’m so empowered, why am I such a coward?…If I’m so strong, why am I broken?” the gospel-inspired, all-female choir and dance troupe that supported Taylor throughout asked over and over again, perfectly distilling the messy, complex feelings that come with being a woman.
Known for her energetic, experimental pop sound that draws on a myriad of styles from indie to rave and house, the Yorkshire-born Taylor began performing under her solo moniker nine years ago. 2021’s Prioritise Pleasure brought commercial and critical success along with a Mercury Prize nomination. She has expanded her work into literature and theatre, appearing in West End productions of Cabaret and Teeth ‘n’ Smiles. Described as one of the best lyricists of her generation, her influences range from Madonna and Lady Gaga to Queen and Arctic Monkeys. Direct, unflinching and down-to-earth, her music feels confessional, questioning and self-critical, yet also bold, uncompromising and confident.
On stage, jagged, spasming choreography; a circle of plastic chairs; and red and green lighting that turned the dancers into devils and wicked witches accompanied the relentless, drum-driven I Am Not Your Mother from the singer’s 2025 release, A Complicated Woman. Robes were removed to reveal black-and-white tracksuits (and a T-shirt with a fiercely anti-AI statement) for the P.E. lesson-inspired choreography of You Forever.
“There is nothing that terrifies a man more than a woman who appears completely deranged,” explained a voiceover while discordant guitars signalled the start of Prioritise Pleasure, with its ragged call of “I’m Free!” But the music was never overwhelmed by the message. Angry, joyful, smart, bawdy or silly (like the high-energy rave-inspired 69), everything was balanced with a deadpan sense of humour and an in-on-the-joke wink. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the haunting and vulnerable Logic, Bitch, which was sung into a banana that Taylor held like a telephone before she ate it and threw the skin into the crowd. Taylor’s devoted legion of fans responded to favourite F**king Wizardry as the crowd’s voices joined the chorus on stage. These felt like shared experiences that resonated deeply, turning the show into a healing, communal experience.
Mixing in less pop-focused moments, like the recorded monologue from South African artist Moonchild Sanelly in In Plain Sight, brought a different kind of power – raw and heartfelt. A vulnerable rendition of The Curse addressed Taylor’s complicated relationship with alcohol and social anxiety: “I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work, but it really works, and that’s the curse,” she sang. While What Now was stripped back and sung by a tightly held circle of singers facing inwards and away from the audience.
Later, black and white made way for neon colours, higher tempos, projections of dating apps and dancing inflatable men for the empowering Cheers to Me. If Not Now, Then Soon was introduced as a song about being hopeful for the future. “Let’s pretend to be hopeful,” she shrugged with a knowing chuckle. Taylor then joked they’d be finishing early for the football before deadpanning that, of course, they’d be doing two more for the encore.
She returned to the stage, alone, to slow things down with I Do This All The Time’s brutal monologue, which touched on the guilt, rage, and joy of everyday experiences like attending barbecues and birthday drinks. “Viva la North!”, she shouted, a laugh undercutting any sense of pomposity, before finishing with the rousing Focus is Power. “My focus is powerful… I deserve to be here…”, she sang – a mantra felt deeply by a crowd buoyed up by the cathartic, affirming set that mirrored the authenticity and raw power of the material.
Check out more photos from the Mouth of the Tyne Festival at: www.maxhunterofficial.com and @max.hunter.128
