MUSIC PREMIERES
“This is the fuckin’ biggest show of our lives,” says English Teacher frontwoman Lily Fontaine to a capacity crowd at London’s Electric Brixton. “This is rock’n’roll,” she continues, with the spirit starting to take over. “That rock’n’roll, eh?” now with an Alex Turner drawl, “it just won’t go away…”
The Leeds art-rock champs have every right to carry a little of that swagger of their Yorkshire indie peers tonight. The final night of their tour also happens to be the biggest headline show of their career to date, a victory lap for their universally acclaimed Top 10 album ‘This Could Be Texas’ – certainly one of the definitive debuts of the year, and perhaps one of the best of this decade so far. “There are quite a lot of you,” notes Fontaine, with the air ripe with a sense of occasion.
The show starts with the singer tottering on stage wearing one of the giant papier-mâché heads from the music video for ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’, accompanied by a fitting Lynchian soundtrack. Here’s a band that follow their own script. Their originality feeds their energy on all sides of the spectrum, from the jarring and rollicking ‘I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying’ to when Fontaine takes to the keys for the beautiful ‘Broken Biscuits’
‘Not Everybody Gets to Go to Space’ ironically takes Brixton beyond the O-zone layer, while the intricate meanderings of ‘Mastermind Specialism’ keep the crowd enthralled without a whiff of being self-indulgent. “This is a love song,” says Fontaine, introducing ‘You Blister My Paint’. “We don’t have many of those, so excuse me while I get emotional”. And she does. In fact, she sings the absolute fuck out of it. “It’s about to get lairy,” she offers before ‘The Best Tears Of Your Life’, seeing in a series of wild peaks, complete with a spot of crowdsurfing for ‘R&B’; the band’s eccentricities never getting in the way of a good time.
We spot a nearby fan wiping the tears from their cheeks during a magnetic performance of the tender ‘Albert Road’, before Fontaine finds again that “dreams can come true” for a confetti rainstorm during the frenetic first set close of ‘Nearly Daffodils’. Returning for the encore of a wonkily gorgeous spin on LCD Soundsystem’s ‘New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down’. It’s been a journey in just over an hour, leaving you desparate to know the band’s next destination.
“Where do you holiday?” shouts someone from the audience at one point. “I don’t holiday, mate,” Fontaine smiles back. “I work. I’m a bad bitch”. English Teacher have been more than vocal in the never-ending battle for artists’ hard-work to be valued and compensated. They’ve put the hours in, and tonight it pays off. They’ll clean up at festival season and if there’s any justice they’ll be at least nominated for the Mercury Prize. The year could very much belong to English Teacher – the band keeping UK indie very safely out of that swamp.
‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’
‘I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying’
‘Broken Biscuits’
‘Not Everybody Gets to Go to Space’
‘Albatross’
‘Sideboob’
‘Mastermind Specialism’
‘You Blister My Paint’
‘This Could Be Texas’
‘The Best Tears of Your Life’
‘Nearly Daffodils’
‘R&B’
‘Albert Road’
Encore:
‘New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down’
MUSIC PREMIERES
“I’m looking for an answer in between the lines/ Lying to yourself if you think we’re fine,” Sabrina Carpenter sings while seated gracefully on a toilet.
It is the opening night of her “Short n’ Sweet” tour at what she proudly described as “five fucking sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.” The toilet appears within the bathroom section of her expansive stage design, which resembles a cross between a 1970s television set and a Barbie-inspired dream house from the same decade.
More importantly, Carpenter performs a heartfelt ballad, one of her signature songs blending humor and honesty in her storytelling about relationships. The track, “Sharpest Tool,” reflects on being in love with someone lacking awareness, serving as a thematic successor to her recent hit “Please Please Please.”
The toilet itself is an elegant prop with a heart-shaped lid, while the “bathroom” area is surrounded by sheer screens that display close-up video projections of her performance. Few major female pop artists today would likely deliver a serious song in such a setting. It highlights Carpenter’s willingness to approach familiar ideas with originality and confidence.
With her classic American glamour, Carpenter maintains a striking image while writing songs that address relationships and intimacy with unfiltered honesty. Those themes are presented within polished, radio-ready pop production that still holds musical depth. The pre-show playlist included ABBA’s 1979 track “If It Wasn’t for the Nights” and Diana Ross’ 1980 hit “I’m Coming Out,” acknowledging both her stylistic influences and her strong LGBTQ following.
Her audience consists largely of young girls who may not yet relate directly to the personal experiences behind her lyrics but view her as a relatable, older-sister figure. Many of their parents, especially mothers accompanying them, also appeared to be fans. One of the night’s more unexpected moments came when Carpenter led thousands of middle-school-aged fans in singing the explicit lyric “I’m so fucking horny!” during “Juno.”
The show, mostly following the same structure as her previous tour, featured the full production scale of a modern arena concert. The visual theme of vintage television carried through as Carpenter performed across multiple areas of the set, including a balcony, staircase, walk-in closet, and in front of a vanity and fireplace, supported by 11 dancers and a live four-piece band.
She changed outfits four times throughout the concert, each one sparkling and styled to highlight her signature stage presence. The setlist focused mainly on her latest albums, “Short n’ Sweet” and “Man’s Best Friend,” while including several tracks from her 2022 record “Emails I Can’t Send,” which marked her transition into a mature artistic phase. The show opened with “Taste,” included highlights such as “Manchild,” “Feather,” and “Bed Chem,” and concluded with “Espresso” during a colorful confetti finale.
Between songs, the screens played comedic 1970s-inspired mock commercials, including a parody tool advertisement using the line “The Sharpest Tool, trusted by carpenters everywhere.” The presentation also featured a fabricated “Technical Difficulties” interruption and an excerpt from a Leonard Cohen interview in which he compared writing poetry to “shining the shoes of one’s soul.” The concept was imaginative and visually engaging, though much of the nostalgia predates her audience’s generation. Still, it reflected Carpenter’s ability to merge vintage aesthetics with contemporary performance.
The most memorable parts of the concert came from her natural connection with the crowd. Familiar interactive moments filled the show, including audience singalongs, call-and-response sections, and a “surprise song” feature in which Carpenter spun a bottle to select a number, leading to a live debut of “Go-Go Juice” from her new album. She also spoke candidly with the audience, remarking that she had “been one of you” during her years living in New York, before adding, “Actually, I’ve tried to be one of you.”
Her awareness of the audience’s enthusiasm was evident throughout. She acknowledged fans directly, often gesturing toward specific sections and offering warm appreciation. Near the end, she took time to praise their creativity, saying, “I want to take a second to commend all of the amazing outfits I see.” She expressed gratitude for the crowd’s effort and enthusiasm, recognizing the fans who mirrored her signature style with platform heels, glitter, and lipstick marks on their shoulders.
From artists such as Cher, Donna Summer, and Deborah Harry to Madonna, Beyoncé, and others, many women in pop music have explored the boundaries of expression and sexuality in their art. Sabrina Carpenter continues that tradition with confidence, balancing playfulness and self-awareness while maintaining authenticity and respect for her audience.
