“Glasgow, what the f*ck is up?” Charli XCX shouts on her last show of the sold-out BRAT tour. The screaming crowd adorned in signature brat green make the OVO Hydro feel like more of a rave than a concert, and the atmosphere Charli brings to the venue is tangible. “Glasgow, we saved the best til last”, she announces.
Brat Summer has been the phrase on everyone’s lips this year. Collins Dictionary dubbed ‘Brat’ the word of the year, it exploded on social media, and Kamala Harris was among the many politicians embracing brat culture. With an iconic lime green album cover, a grimy club aesthetic, and catchy hyper-pop hits, Charli’s sixth album marks an incredible peak of the singer’s career. The essence of brat has been described by Charli XCX as “that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes”. In September, the young girl from Essex declared “Goodbye forever brat summer”. Nevertheless, on Monday night, the spirit of brat was alive and well in Scotland, with concertgoers revelling in brat winter.
The concert opens with a remix of 360 and 365, the album’s bookends,, with a guest appearance from the opening artist Shygirl. The crowd is certainly “bumpin’ that” as Charli performs with an enduring energy. The show is all about Charli, there are no backup dancers, no extravagant sets, just the occasional appearance of Nick, her personal cameraman who captures her struts across the runway and escapades under the stage.
Charli knocks out hit after hit to her adoring crowd, ‘Von dutch’, ‘Club classics’ and ‘Girl, so confusing’ get the biggest reception. For her track, ‘Apple’, which inspired a TikTok viral dance craze, the singer invites a group of Scottish fans to join her limelight on the big screen and perform the choreography. The lime green devotees were certainly not camera shy, and mirrored the singer’s insatiable energy, truly ‘so Julia’. Charli thought so too, with an approving “Glasgow baby”.
The gig also had its tender moments, from a moving tribute to her late friend and fellow musician, SOPHIE, to her introspective song ‘I might say something stupid, which prompted the crowd to light up the room with phone flashlights in appreciation.
The “365 party girl” closes the evening with her breakout hit ‘I Love It’, the synth-pop number is certainly a crowd pleaser, but also reminds us much her sound and stage presence has evolved. The OVO Hydro arena is a big upgrade to her last Scottish show in 2022 at a 2,500-capacity venue. Undoubtedly, Charli XCX proved herself worthy of the hype and attendees were left more than satisfied.
Chloe Fitzpatrick from Edinburgh says, “I had the best time” and confesses, “I’m having more of a brat winter … it’s still the same vibes, it’s a mentality”.
Bristolian Jack adds, “Brat is for all seasons” and describes the concert as simply “iconic”.
Another Edinburgh local, Caitlin says the night was “absolutely fantastic, the energy was just sizzling” and affirms “Glasgow is always a good vibe” for live music. However, she admits, “I’m not having a brat winter; it’s too cold in Scotland for that”.
As a longstanding fan of Charli’s, Caitlin says her rapid rise to new heights of fame with BRAT has been “insane” to watch, and seeing her in arenas “feels right, I think she’s better on that sort of stage … she’s got such a good stage presence”.
Unfortunately, the journey back to Edinburgh for these concert commuters was not a comfortable one, after being packed onto a train with reduced carriages.
Edinburgh-bound live music lover Jamie declared – “Scotrail is so not brat”.
