Self Esteem puts on an era-defining show at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom
The ‘A Complicated Woman’ tour rightfully earned rapturous applause in Glasgow.
Photo: Press
Some gigs feel like simple entertainment, others like a rite of passage. But on Saturday night at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom, Self Esteem – aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor – delivered a performance so uncompromising, so visually bold, and so emotionally charged that it felt era-defining for the Rotherham artist.
When Taylor stepped out under a solitary spotlight for I Do and I Don’t Care, the buzzy room was instantly silenced. A thunderous bass drum thundered through the venue, startling the crowd before quickly inspiring them to unleash a roar of approval. Encircled by her troupe of singers and dancers in Handmaid’s Tale-inspired outfits, Taylor immediately set the tone: this was theatre as much as it was live music.
What followed was 75 minutes of contrasts woven into a seamless whole. Mother transformed the stage into a pulsing, red-lit dancefloor, its rave-pop ferocity matched by convulsive choreography and a crowd that moved with equal intensity, while Lies was delivered with searing honesty. During electronic dance track 69, Taylor cheekily asked if anyone in the room was with their parents before revealing a “Love Palestine” t-shirt beneath her costume in a moment that fused politics, humour and liberation – everything Self Esteem has come to be known for.
Vocally, it felt like Taylor was at her peak. On You Forever, her voice cut through the music with a brightness that made the whole room feel like a party, while on the piano-led Logic, Bitch!, Taylor skilfully slowed the pace without losing intensity. To deliver something so precise and soulful after a full-throttle dance break was a testament to just how commanding Self Esteem is as a live performer.
Later, the gospel-like swell of Fucking Wizardry had every hand in the air and the Barrowlands’ famously springy floor shaking beneath the weight of hundreds of stamping feet – clapping was no longer enough. And then came The Curse, with Taylor picking up a guitar for the crowd to roar the bridge back at her with such force it rivalled the PA system. Like much of the night, it was a moment of sheer fun that showed just how much energy, talent and personality everyone was bringing to the stage.
Closing with Focus Is Power, Taylor left no doubt about her intent. This wasn’t simply a pop show; it was a statement – proof of what music and collective experience can achieve when pushed to their limits. It was impossible not to feel uplifted, empowered, and very much part of something bigger by the end of the night. So, it’s safe to say, no one is doing it quite like Self Esteem right now.