By Alexandra Pullen
As I entered Manchester Academy 3 on a cold and windy Sunday, it felt more as though I was stepping into Pixie Hollow. What stood before me was a stage decked out with fairy lights and a bouquet of crochet flowers, and if I was to extend the metaphor, the three angelic singers who graced said stage that night were the fairy inhabitants. Headliner Nell Mescal was joined on her tour celebrating her newest EP by two equally talented and profound performers, which made for a brilliant night.
In quite a coincidental string of events, the first of two support acts was Pixie McCann, who stated that she “makes weird songs for weird girls”. Upon taking to the stage, I was immediately intrigued when she told the room she was going to be “looping some songs”. And that she did, harmonising with herself on recorded tracks right there on the stage. Two highlights included her song Sweet Serenity, and an unreleased track titled The Pit. McCann was not afraid of discussing emotive topics through song, and between explaining the backstory behind a few, and asking for audience participation, she certainly built a connection with the Mancunian crowd.
Next up was Cece Coakley, who embarked on the entire The Closest We’ll Get tour with her good friend, Mescal. In fact, she opened the show in Manchester by telling us it was her first time in the city, and “an honour to open for one of [her] best friends”. Two newer tracks Marionette and Pleasant Attack led to Coakley having the crowd in the palm of her hands. You could hear a pin drop in the Academy 3 during her performance, and if like me, this is because everyone was in awe of her tremendous vocal talent.
Accompanied only by her guitar, it must have been daunting to face a crowd in a new city, but Coakley’s humour and personality shone; she even took a moment to say a “thank you” to the Academy, and an “I’ve always wanted to say that” prompted a laugh from the audience. A couple of personal favourites of mine were Personified, a “farewell song” written a day after a breakup, and 865, which tells the tale of moving back home into your childhood bedroom. Coakley’s warm persona was reflected in her music, which blends sounds of indie, folk and country and would be suited to fans of Phoebe Bridgers and Annika Bennett.
After two sensational support slots, it was time for Nell Mescal to take the stage. At the age of just 22, Mescal has already released two fantastic EPs and established a strong core fanbase who resonate strongly with her vulnerable lyricism. Her most recent release, The Closest We’ll Get, sees her navigate the blurry and confusing line between friendship and something more, with tracks including Carried Away and See You Again quickly becoming firm fan-favourites.
Mescal opened with Electric Picnic and Killing Time, two songs from her debut EP, before first addressing her fans. Her presence instantly lit up the room.
Mescal possesses a miraculous ability to make you feel as though she is singing directly to you, despite sharing the room with a couple hundred other people. Before continuing, she gushed over how much she had enjoyed being on the road so far: “[this is the] most fun I’ve ever had on a tour. I love Manchester so much.” And it’s safe to say that after this performance, the love was reciprocated from the city.
To show some love to her home country, Mescal called to the crowd to see if anyone was from Ireland. Being met with a singular scream was enough, as she went on to dedicate Warm Body to the one Irish fan in the room, joking “it’s you and me babe. This one’s for you.” Throughout the show, she was very open about sharing backstories to songs, including In My Head, which she stated is about “the worst person in the world” and Thin: “when I wrote it, I didn’t feel ready to write about what I was writing about”. The latter, in particular, was a poignant and stunning acoustic performance where Mescal hit every note perfectly. Perhaps the most impressive of the night though were Lose You Altogether and Middle Man, where the sheer power behind Mescal’s voice provoked some goosebumps arising on my arms.
Following on from a streak of emotionally heavy songs, she blessed the audience with a more upbeat and bouncier track, Sweet Relief. “I got home and couldn’t stand you/Isn’t that some kind of curse?/Or is it a/Sweet, sweet, sweet relief?” This day in Manchester signalled four years since Mescal had moved to London to pursue her career in the music industry. Since then, it has become evident that she is an extremely hardworking and talented individual.
As her set came to a close, the lights became warmer and the crowd seemed a bittersweet in having to soon say goodbye. July, See You Again and The Closest We’ll Get brought more beaming smiles to the faces of fans and performers alike, as Mescal showed her appreciation for Coakley, McCann and every person in the room that night. A surprise encore of Homesick felt as though Mescal was inviting all fans, new and old, into a hug to bid them farewell after a show of transcendent catharsis.
Witnessing Nell Mescal live during a headline slot felt like an hour of utter serenity. With her band – Matt, Alex, Chris and Charlie – and her fans, Mescal seems to have formed a musical family. She seemed at ease on the stage and built a connection with every individual in the room while delivering wholly flawless vocals. After embarking on the rest of her UK tour, Mescal will continue with three home shows in Ireland.
Photography Copyright 2025 © Chloe McLelland/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Text Copyright 2025 © Alexandra Pullen/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Emma Turner