Self Esteem at British Airways ARC

With the devastatingly high rate of recent music venue closures, the emergence of a new one can only be a good thing, especially one purpose-built to join London’s mid-sized venues like Brixton Academy and Hammersmith Apollo. Opening the 3,800-capacity British Airways ARC is Self Esteem (aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor), fresh off her West End run in Teeth ‘n’ Smiles for the venue’s inaugural performance.

It’s so new, a slight plastic smell lingers upon entry; no doubt it’ll soon vanish as pints are inevitably spilled and/or thrown. First impressions are good; it’s easy to move around in with an expansive bar area. ARC’s been advertised as an intimate space, yet the floor area is roomy enough for a sold-out show (like tonight’s) to feel like a large turnout.

Alongside the occasion of being the venue’s first headliner, Taylor has declared this summer run of shows will be the final outing for last year’s beloved album, A Complicated Woman. So how does it fare in its current form for one last hurrah?

Part-theatre piece, part-pop performance, a Self Esteem show is where Taylor’s creative ambitions fly, with costumes, choreography and staging meticulously thought out. It’s a triumphant return for Taylor and her troupe of performers, who only did one rehearsal prior to showtime. Thankfully, it’s the same running order as last year’s UK tour, meaning the Self Esteem crew can lock back into their dance routines as though no time has passed.

The first few songs are tense and gripping with all eight performers wearing nun’s habits, glaring, twitching and convulsing through Mother and Lies (with guest Nadine Shah appearing to join the latter’s squealing finale), before shedding them for a full cardio workout to You Forever.

The movement becomes looser as the set progresses, whether it’s Fucking Wizardry‘s joyful freestylings or the anguished writhing during Moonchild Sanelly’s powerful coda for In Plain Sight. Cheers to Me is the only exception here, as the backdrop screen urges the crowd to do its TikTok dance. Once the inflatable tube men appear, happy chaos descends again.

Part of Taylor’s appeal lies in her candour and endless charisma, with trademark quips – “This is the first music here, feels correct,” said before her pounding ode to sex positions, 69 – and acknowledging the costume change gone wrong before Prioritise Pleasure (it’s swiftly corrected). Yet in an increasingly fractured world, the Self Esteem experience is also an inviting place, where empathy is encouraged and remaining strong doesn’t have to be isolating. As she sings herself, “Part of being funny is having some sincerity and using both of them wisely.”

Taylor warmly thanks the crowd for their support and reinstating her belief in music. By the time we’ve reached the cathartic climax of The Deep Blue Okay, I Do This All the Time, and Focus Is Power, it’s a jubilant finish to the first night of music in London’s newest venue.

Bravo, Self Esteem – may there be many more nights like tonight, not just here, but everywhere.