Dylan at Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Dylan, the young indie-pop musician hailing from Suffolk, returned to the legendary Shepherd’s Bush Empire for a second, consecutive sold-out night this week. Having spent last autumn on a hit UK tour, it was exhilarating to see her taking the industry by storm with a big-leagues headlining gig.

When the lights dimmed to announce the artist’s impending entrance, the venue fell to whispers and buzzed with excitement. Only the white bulbs of a light fixture in the shape of a curved heart could be seen on-stage, and as the guitarist and drummer joined the scene, an eruption of smoke and flashing lights started in time to the beat of the music. The lighting switched to blood red – the star’s signature colour – and she appeared with a confident walk, electric guitar in tow. It’s safe to say the crowd went absolutely wild.

Dylan kept everyone dancing from the beginning, encouraging clapping, swaying and throwing hands in the air to flip off the sky. She told people to “Forget pretty – I want this to be loud”. The crowd delivered, singing along passionately and stamping their feet to angry anthems like No Romeo. There was even a sneak peek of her newest single, Every Heart But Mine, which had only just been played for the first time on Radio 1 earlier in the day.

The highlight of the night came from Nineteen, a track that reminisces about the days of being young and carefree, falling in love as a teenager. Dylan’s heartfelt vocals had the room swaying along, hitting them right in the feels. As she walked across the stage, oozing unabashed self-assurance eagerly lapped up by her audience, the singer-songwriter recalled that this time last year she was playing at The Garage with a maximum capacity of 600; fast forward one year, she wouldn’t have believed that she’d have two gigs at capacity in a venue for 2,000.

She kept the energy up all night, and closed her second show with upbeat pop anthem Nothing Lasts Forever, giving it her all, flipping her hair, kicking and dancing across the space to deliver an excellent grand finale. This performance was nothing short of electrifying – spectacular, dazzling. Dylan has stolen hearts and minds, and, from the reaction of the crowd and her dedicated fanbase, there’s no doubt that this is just the beginning for the singer.

Emily Downie
Photos: Virginie Viche

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

Watch the video for the single Nothing Lasts Forever here: