There is nothing quite like a Katie Gregson-MacLeod concert to welcome the rainy days of October. With her sixth tour date being at The Tolbooth this Thursday, Katie and her support act Lizzie Reid left the audience with nothing short of raw emotion. In a few words: A simple, stripped-back concert, yet having the effect of something so much more.
Inside The Tolbooth the audience sat together on the floor waiting for Katie to come out. As the room started to fill up, Katie’s support act came out to tie a Keffiyeh (Palestinian scarf) to the microphone stand. Soon everyone stood up, eager to spend their joint therapy-session together listening to Katie sing.
She started the night on guitar with her song “Mosh Pit”, creating a sort of “hold-your-breath” atmosphere which hung over the crowd inside the old concert hall. They did not know it yet, but her witty humour would soon juxtapose the sombre ballad.
Moving over to piano for the next few songs, “White Lies” filled the room. Listening to her sing was utterly enthralling. There is no denying Katie’s technical ability playing the guitar, but her voice accompanied with the piano and her lyrics was the most harmonious combination.
The audience may have been a small, but that only encouraged the authenticity of connection between the artist, the music and the listening crowd. Few larger scale concerts would be able to accomplish such an atmosphere.
Between her saddest songs the crowd would chuckle and laugh. Katie’s sense of humour and song-related anecdotes were a complimentary contrast to the deep emotion in her lyrics. That is, indeed, how you achieve connection.
Aside from her older songs and the songs from her latest EP Love Me Too well, I’ll Retire Early Katie delighted everyone with some new, unreleased music. One of the songs is to be the last on her upcoming album, which you could almost hear from the A Capella outro – A goosebumps moment, to say the least.
To not mention Katie’s support act Lizzie Reid would be a disservice to everyone who has not heard her voice. Thankfully, Katie brought her out again for her song “TV Show.” There is something indescribable about hearing harmonies so beautiful, but a small venue such as the Tolbooth adds a layer of intimacy to the experience.
Before playing her most well-known songs Katie addressed a fan in the audience who was jumping with pure joy. Apparently, the girl had requested online that a song be played, and Katie had, of course, seen this.
Katie eventually played her song “Teenage Love.” A crowd who had so far been mesmerized but quiet, now came to life to sing with her. The song got a lot of attention online for a reason, with the cutting yet vulnerable lyrics expressing a retrospective anger. It was somehow even more impactful with hearing those next to me sing along.
To round the night off, Katie played the song which enabled her to do what she loves. Again, Katie gripped our attention with her song “Complex”. The devastatingly honest lyrics were paradoxically a great comfort.
And lastly, Katie played the song which enabled her to do what she loves, but also in the way she loves to do it. “Love Me Too Well, I’ll Retire Early” brought the evening to a natural end as the rain poured outside Stirling’s Tolbooth.
In short, the level of intimacy and connection which is possible with a more stripped-back performance is not to be scoffed at. In an age of queuing for hours, only to watch the artist perform from a screen, this was a refreshing experience. Without artists like Katie who seek that connection to the music and the audience, there would be a sore lack in the industry.
Featured Image Credit: Martha Steventon
2nd year History & Journalism Student at the University of Stirling. Moved over from Sweden in 2024 to study in Scotland.
