Since releasing her debut solo album The Waiting Game last year Una Healy has become a name in her own right after her time with The Saturdays. Wrapping up her first UK headline tour at London’s The Lexington we headed to the show to see the country songstress in action on her Voice Inside Of Me tour.
Support came from Australia’s Jacob Lee and his emotive, guitar-driven tracks were the perfect warm-up for Una’s set. Set highlight I Just Know stood out as a set highlight with the fast-paced, emotive lyrics becoming a recipe for success. Jacob frequently took the time out before tracks to tell the stories behind them even if he admitted he doesn’t usually write about himself. Cursed, written about schizophrenia also talks about depression and mental health which are becoming more prominent in society as every day passes. A lighter lyrical topic came with With You written about how he believes his future life will be, married and with a child in a family home. Jacob Lee possesses a personality which draws you towards him, becoming captivated by his powerful stage presence and sure to go home and add him to your Spotify playlists.
With the attic room at The Lexington suitably packed it was time for Una to grace the stage to a rapturous cheer. Opening with All You Ever Need Is Love taken from her debut album instantly Una’s beautiful vocals lit up the room with their unique yet gritty undertone. Duets are something she’s no stranger too with In Case You Didn’t Know with Brett Young being just one of many done during her solo career. Sadly Brett couldn’t fly over for just one song but the upbeat, keys lead number was just as special tonight.
Treating fans to some covers came with the likes of a vocal-driven take on Vance Joy’s Riptide which had the crowd singing back alongside the fun, feel-good of These Days. Openly telling everyone how Celtic folk has influenced her and her sound gave Una the perfect chance to cover Christy Moore’s Ride On with the hauntingly beautiful keyboards.
With her own catalogue of solo tracks tonight these shows have given Una the chance to show them off. Wild Grasses a new track oozes in folk vibes whilst on the other end of the spectrum Raider Of My Sleep written when she was just 15 performed solo with her acoustic guitar was simply stunning. Vocally Una excels to the point that in tracks such as Take Me Dancing you can’t help but be taken aback by them. Throughout the setlist Una touched on a lot of subjects through her lyrics for instance Craving You tells the story of how loving someone will only end in heartache for you, something many audience members to relate to. A personal highlight came with Staring At The Moon as Una explained her daughter Aoife loves this song and was so excited to see it live again. Sadly she couldn’t be at the show due to venue age restrictions but as Una explained ‘When I look at the moon she’s looking at the same moon’ helped her get through a week away from her on tour. We can’t lie our hearts melted at this point as Una gave such a personal insight into her life.
Throughout her set Una took the chance to chat with the crowd about anything which came into her head at that moment. Topics of the night included it being the longest day of the year, Love Island (Piers Morgan’s comment in particular) and teasing her husband Ben Foden in the audience about letting himself especially his beard out go out of hand when she’s away.
Towards the end of the setlist, Una told the tale of how regardless of if she’s called Una, Una Healy or Una Foden she’ll always be a member of The Saturdays. This paved the way for a dreamy cover of Last Call and the ultimate sing-along track and one of the groups biggest hits Issues. There truly was something for everyone as Una took us through her musical journey via song. Latest single Never See Me Cry is a rockier, angstier track than fans are used to from Una but that’s probably why the crowd reaction was so good during it tonight. Una explained ‘there are millions of versions flying around’ so you’ll probably find a version you’ll fall in love with somewhere along the lines. Closing the set was her first single Stay My Love which was a duet with Sam Palladio who sadly wasn’t at the show. But giving every last bit of her energy and belting out the track it was a triumphant end to the dream set.
It’s impossible to not fall in love with Una Healy’s down to earth personality and incredible music talent which really gets highlighted when performing solo. Seeing her confidence grow and gaining success on her own merit is lovely to see. Performing and chatting to the audience with ease it’s clear Una Healy is made to perform live and has a glowing career ahead of her.
We recently had a talk to Una about the tour and what’s coming up for her this year, read it here.
Did you go to any of Una’s shows on tour? Tweet us @CelebMix and let us know!