The Yorkshire star is currently heading across the UK on her latest tour, but what did our reviewer make of the night in Gateshead?

In a world where artists need to do more than ever to stand out, Self Esteem is a swiss army knife of performance.

Real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor, the star has been able to steer into a niche within the pop music world of anthemic self acceptance, self discovery and and self empowerment in a world which continues to not only disrespect the arts, but women themselves.

Self Esteem performs at the Glasshouse in Gateshead | Google

placeholder image — Self Esteem performs at the Glasshouse in Gateshead | Google

This seems to be a badge Self Esteem wears on her sleeve, especially on her fantastic 2025 album A Complicated Woman, released earlier this year which explores themes including not having a clue what to do as life passes you by, and this seems to be something Taylor has explored away from music too.

In addition to being a stellar singer-songwriter, the Rotherham native has recently been cast in Teeth N’ Smiles, a West End play from David Hare - the latest of a series of drama performances, and this is something fans have got very comfortable with, alongside Taylor herself.

This is all to say a Self Esteem show is far more than a regular gig at a regular venue.

A Complicated Woman is the album she is touring across the UK at the moment, stopping in Gateshead for a set at the Glasshouse on Wednesday, September 17 before moving about half a mile north for a set at O2 City Hall in Newcastle the following day.

It is clear Self Esteem’s time on stage has influenced how the ongoing tour looks and feels. The opening tracks are performed with Taylor and her team of backup vocalists dressed in striking ‘Handmaids Tale’ style headwear with limbs gesticulating during the intense second track Mother, which followed album opener I Do And I Don’t Care.

Self Esteem performs on her A Complicated Woman tour. | Calum Buchan

Chairs and a smaller stage hosting musicians on drums, bass and synths are manoeuvred around the stage throughout the set which, as well as the humorous use of a banana for a telephone, lean into the dramatic setups where each song is not only sonically different, but also has its own visual backdrop.

The set itself is similar to those performed by Self Esteem throughout festival season this year, although the ability to further control on-stage lighting thanks to the lack of daylight adds an additional power to songs such as F****** Wizardry, where a single beam from the left side of the stage is the only use of light throughout parts of the performance.

It is a set which is equally intimate and powerful, perfectly matching the tone and themes of the latest album, which was released back in April.

“Making this album wasn’t very fun for me” emotionally adds Taylor towards the end of the set, a further nod to the themes.

While the intensity is almost breathtaking, other tracks are equally jubilant. Album closer The Deep Blu Okay has been in my head all summer and offers a stunning resolution to the night, although the mainly seated Glasshouse venue may not have leaned into that joy being outwardly expressed by the audience as much as other all-standing dates on the tour.

That is, however, what makes Self Esteem such an incredible artist from a live performance perspective.

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I was lucky enough to be at her Glastonbury set over the summer and getting the chance to experience the more intense parts of her discography in a setting like the Glasshouse was remarkable, and will offer a different perspective on the set to those who see her at a standing show elsewhere on the tour, including Newcastle’s O2 Academy, where she performs on Thursday, September 18, one day after the Gateshead show.

The jubilant triumph of The Deep Blue Okay, I Do This All The Time and Focus Is Power is testament to how Taylor wants fans to feel leaving the shows, and this joy is shown from a group of performers who are clearly more than just colleagues. The group seem to constantly check on each other through the set, laughing as they go.

As someone who clearly enjoys spending as much time on stages as Taylor does, replicating that across the whole group makes for a fantastic watch.

Combining Taylor’s performing influences and ideas, the set is something to behold and is sure to be on many a gig-goers end of year best list.