Self Esteem live: We went to Sheffield singer's new tour - and here's what to expect

The Queen of South Yorkshire will be at the city’s Utilita Arena on October 18 – but we travelled all the way to Birmingham to see her open up her tour and see what fans in Sheffield can look forward to.

The Steel City’s own extravagant pop royalty returned to the live scene in formidable style ahead of her largest homecoming show.

As Self Esteem, aka the indomitable Rebecca Lucy Taylor, prepares to descend upon Sheffield’s largest capacity venue for her hometown show, it’s certainly not just another date on the calendar.

It's a homecoming. A more than earned victory lap. A dying testament to how this Rotherham lass has not only conquered the music world but has also become a vital, influential force for a new generation of artists, particularly here centred within God’s Own Country.

But prior to her grandest Yorkshire homecoming, the more than acclaimed singer-songwriter has enrolled herself on a city-sprawling tour, with many cities being lucky enough to feature more than one show.

So, with all this stocked-up information cemented front and centre within the confines of your mind, the charmingly fierce Rebecca braved the opening of her sweetly detailed tour on a chilly Birmingham night that possibly featured the first signs of the unforgiving arrival of autumn and winter weather, as a bone-chilling air made sure to sweep the streets of Brum.

Yet to the many who had their digital tickets pre-loaded and prepped for the staged event were to be found avoiding the swelling colds of classic UK weather, as eagerly dedicated fans of Self Esteem were found well within the angular confines of Birmingham’s O2 Academy, where tonight’s surreal feast of the senses was about to take place.

The buzz throughout Brum’s own Academy was near-on deafening, as the anticipation for Self Esteem’s first day of the tour could really only be described by the word ‘palpable’.

Setting out the raised stage prior to her inevitably hypnotic entrance was a circling placement of ruby red plastic chairs, the ones you’d typically find within a school classroom.

One of these chairs was placed to the side of the rest of the group with a ripe banana placed firmly on it for all to see. Knowing all there is to know about the Rotherham-born talent meant that every intricate detail was a well-versed stage design that would come into effect during her flawless theatrical showcase.

And as the clock reached the cusp of nine, the initiation of deeply relatable yet empowering pop delight was bound to take place within the crowded constructs of the Academy, and as the faithful lights above dimmed across the Brum-based crowd, what can only be described as a scene taken right out of the page of The Handmaid’s Tale took centre stage, as Self Esteem and her talented backup dancers lined up in a cult-like format before Lucy Taylor broke free from the queue to commence the evening with sweetly spoken yet immensely powerful I Do And I Don’t Care.

The startling setlist, composed of seventeen of her very best, was an unforgiving masterclass in pacing and emotional heft, as her show of strange yet eerily timed choreography perfectly weaves between the raw and hypnotic nature of her detailed brand, as the unapologetic power of her new material, such as the charged yet catchy Mother or the racy earworm 69 was a more than cathartic introduction to her liberating anthems that have made her a household name.

Her opening Birmingham show as a whole was indeed a euphoric testament to this. The stage was a well-painted canvas for her trademark dance routines and a commanding narrative of self-acceptance.

As the crowd of old and young was an undisputed sea of sequins and sheer joy, as they made sure to scream every individual lyric back to her during tracks like the gospel-genre-defining Prioritise Pleasure or clear fan favourite F***ing Wizardy, moments like these elevated her performance into another plane of existence.

The pleasantly timed inclusion of the new album's The 345 and the more than stunning collaboration with Moonchild Sanelly on In Plain Sight showcased an essential new level of ambition and a clear evolution in her empowering sound, while still holding true to the pop maximalism she's become known for.

Freshly baked elements from her latest album effort, like the fierce Focus Is Power and the emotive The Deep Blue Okay, landed with the force of an expletive-laden sermon and fit snug as a bug within the more than packed set, as Focus Is Power had the unthinkable duty of closing her special performance, yet due to the doubt of no-one positioned within the enclosed four walls of the Academy, the gifted Self Esteem, her brilliant backing dancers and her skilled band saw out an incredible defining show that’ll be living on in the minds of those who made this feted night.

As many a fond memory will certainly form on the basis of this stellar showcase of vocal talent, stage design and charged choreography, whether your favourite moment from the show was the unmistakable silliness of whacky inflatable tube men being launched up into the latter half of her set or the beautiful intimacy of just Self Esteem on an acoustic guitar or even the fact that the plot-essential banana that was aforementioned right at the start of this article was, of course, just a layup to be eaten during one of her anthems – it genuinely shows just how ready she is to take on the rest of the world.

But her indisputable leading influence extends far beyond a killer setlist and stellar headline tour. As Rebecca Lucy Taylor has become a cultural touchstone for a region that has always prided itself on its straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude.

From her beginnings in Sheffield's DIY scene with Slow Club, she has fearlessly carved a path for herself, demonstrating that you can be both a pop superstar and a genuinely authentic, relatable voice in a sea of nonsense.

She's proved time and time again that it's more than okay to be difficult, to be messy, to be complicated, and to demand a space for yourself within this restrictive world.

This serene message, delivered with charming wit and a wry smile, has resonated with countless young, predominantly female and under-represented musicians across Yorkshire, encouraging them to step out of the shadows and embrace their own creative vision without compromise.

She's a distinctive role model for a young generation that's tired of being told to fit in, and her recent honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield is just one more badge of honour that proves her impact on the local budding community.

So, when Self Esteem takes to the stage at Sheffield Arena on Saturday, 18 October, it will be more than just another gig.

It will be a more than deserving celebration. A testament to a long yet explorative journey from small grassroots venues, like the lost yet not forgotten Leadmill, to a major arena within the same city, as Rebecca Lucy Taylor has progressed from the likes of indie obscurity to rightly stamped pop royalty.

And once that fateful night at the arena comes, expect a night of pure, unadulterated pop perfection, a masterclass in stagecraft, and a collective moment of charged catharsis that will echo across the Steel City for years to come.

This isn't just a must-see event; it's a moment of Sheffield history. You wouldn’t just be a fool to miss it; you’d be the entire circus.

Tickets and more details are available HERE

All photos by South Yorkshire based music photographer Luc-Burke Lejeune

Check out more details of Luc’s portfolio HERE and HERE where you can contact him for photography commissions.