“The only support tonight in London ... will be emotional!” Tegan and Sara deadpanned on social media, hours before their appearance in London at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. There may have been no support act, but there was indeed plenty of emotional support from an audience captivated by this unique, intimate and deeply personal show.
The identical twin sisters created an immersive gig experience from the offset. Phones and cameras weren’t allowed until close to the end, meaning fans were invested in the carefully crafted show and not status updates or selfies.
Reading excerpts from their recent memoir, High School, the sisters emotively recounted the challenges they faced while growing up queer alongside inspiring stories of self-acceptance. The anecdotes were cleverly entwined with songs from their latest album, Hey, I’m Just Like You — a record made up of songs the pair wrote in their youth but rerecorded only recently.
Hearing these alongside extracts which told their origins was illuminating, so too was hearing reworked songs from their extensive back catalogue. All the musical choices helped us to follow the pair’s extraordinary journey from teens to pop stars.
The stripped-back set structure made for a warm exchange between the sisters and their audience: so too did their frequently hilarious stories on stage. Often emotive and frequently nostalgic, this was the sisters’ most personal, intimate and inspiring show to date.
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