Neve Shows What She’s Capable of in Her First Headline Show

Paradiso’s upstairs room filled with several Neve fans on a drizzly Wednesday evening. For both her fans and herself, it was a special night in Amsterdam: her first headline show. Although the turnout was moderate, with a noticeable gap at the back of the room, the Irish singer immediately expressed her love. She was used to no one knowing who she was and always having to introduce herself. Now, however, the entire audience knew her. It was a moment to be very proud of, as she indicated.

She started the intimate performance with the song “To The Moon.” The fans had a surprise for her right away: the entire room held up a heart with the written text “To the moon and back.” At the end of the song, she received a heart from a fan, which she safely kept backstage.

During the song “Brutally Honest,” the fans knew exactly what to do: scream. The Irish singer no longer needed backing vocals; she now had her fans for that. The uptempo energy lasted until the song “What Are You Willing To Do?” After that, the emotional part of the setlist began.

She kicked this off directly with the serene “Should’ve Been Us.” She was shocked at how loudly the audience could sing along, which only increased as she moved on to the covers. She sang “California King Bed” (originally by Rihanna) and “Car’s Outside” (originally by James Arthur). She chose the latter because she had toured with him earlier this year and wanted to express her gratitude to James. Although both versions were completely different from the originals, her tones hit exactly the right notes to move the audience.

The powerful “Blood On The Walls” gave Neve and the audience a “boss girl” feeling; the energy was palpable and felt more like a scream therapy session, but that gave the song its power. “Sugarcoats” was announced at Paradiso as a new single, not yet released and never before performed. Despite the singer’s nerves, she managed to captivate the audience very well.

She closed with two of her best-known songs, “Guyfriends” and “Midnight.” She prepared the audience for her future shows at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, where she dreams of performing, and indicated that the encore would then consist of “Midnight” and “Want You Back.” The visitors to the Amsterdam church-turned-concert hall certainly want her back, as evidenced by the resounding final applause that echoed through the room. “Until the next time,” came from the speakers as the sound faded.

Photos (c) Ilona van der Hoek