Gig review: Mimi Webb at Leeds University Stylus

To celebrate the release, Webb is currently playing five intimate acoustic sets across the UK, playing the Stylus at Leeds University Union last Monday.

Arriving at the venue, there is a line of fans that snakes its way from the venue, right to the doors of the student union. Many come bearing signs, clad in Mimi merchandise, gripping onto pink CDs they had picked up at Crash Records, who had hosted Mimi that day for an album signing.

When the doors open to the gig, there’s only a short wait before Webb arrives on stage. Met with screams from the audience, mostly made up of young girls, she takes a seat on a stool in the centre stage, joined by a guitarist and keyboard player who lead her into the first track, Red Flags.

The stripped back plays of Webb’s debut really highlight how gifted she is vocally, raising hairs with heartbreak ballad Roles Reversed, not missing a note with Ghost of You and delivering an effortlessly angelic rendition of House on Fire.

What makes Webb so special, is how she recognises her fanbase and devotes time in the set to talk to them with a Q&A. The questions touch on topics such as dealing with heartbreak, friendships, the success of the album and her Brit nomination. It’s clear that many of the young people in attendance look up to Webb as a role model.

The set is shorter than expected, although this is likely due to Webb making time to sign as many records as possible after the show. As the lights come on, flocks of fans run to the back of the venue to get in line and meet the young popstar, who is set to play Leeds again next month at the O2 Academy.

Quickly becoming one of the UK’s most exciting artists, Webb has certainly guaranteed herself a fighting chance of securing a number one record, with not a single person leaving the venue without a signed CD – and the bragging rights of hearing it acoustic in one of Leeds’s intimate venues.