Maisie Peters at the Hammersmith Apollo

Thursday night saw a sold-out event at the legendary Hammersmith Apollo for 22-year-old West Sussex native Maisie Peters. Having been moved from Brixton Academy, the new venue did not disappoint with its high ceilings, huge stage and circled seating.

Peters has been smashing it in the last few years with release after release, hitting the top of the charts and gaining attention from the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift. With her hardcore, relatable love songs, the artist knows how to strike a chord just right with every track she writes.

At the beginning of the night, the room was absolutely buzzing, filled with the anticipation of Peters’s grand entrance. The set was simple, with the band elevated at the back of the stage and the mic for the singer waiting front and centre. When the music on the speakers faded, the room filled with screams as she skipped onto the stage and broke into the iconic but heartbreaking track, Body Better.

Peters had the audience in the palm of her hand, walking around on stage with an easy confidence and talking about her journey to this point in between songs. She reminisced about days spent on the train between Brighton and London, scribbling down song ideas and hoping to one day perform them at a venue like this one. The singer-songwriter also touched on her exciting upcoming album release, The Good Witch, set to be released in June of this year.

Later on, Peters informed everyone how hard she had tried to fit in as many songs on the set list as possible, following this with a cleverly constructed medley of four of her own songs, including the sweet ballad Favourite Ex, and a cover of an early Swift track, Dear John.

The performer tied the evening to a satisfying close with her newest release, Lost the Breakup. This was clearly the most anticipated song of the night, with the crowd jumping in time and absolutely losing it when she threw back her hair and belted into the mic, with all the passion of the evening felt in those high notes.

The audience chanted for more as Peters and her band ran off the stage. Their wish was almost immediately granted as the four returned to excited screams and played one final pop-rock anthem for the night, none other than the badass track Blonde, written in tribute to the musician’s switch from brunette to blonde following a difficult break-up.

Peters left the audience feeling captivated and out of breath – it was a night that will be remembered for the flawless vocals, infectious dancing and irresistibly uplifting atmosphere.

Emily Downie
Photos: Guifré de Peray

For further information and future events visit Maisie Peters’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Lost the Breakup here: