People who don’t understand Chappell Roan’s rise to fame perhaps don’t realise how long overdue her music—her presence—is for the community that dotes on her. She’s so queer-coded that it’s not even coded. The single ‘Pink Pony Club’ came out four years ago; an ode to a place where “boys and girls can all be queens every single day”.
She’s platformed drag artists as her support act since performing in the smallest venues, encouraging audiences to tip queens to support wider LGBTQ+ communities. — — Last week, when she accepted her VMA for Best New Artist, she gave credit where it was due: “I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspired me. And I dedicate this to queer and trans people that fuel pop all around.
” Chappell has played London before—she performed at Heaven last year, (and The Garage in 2023!). Since then, her fame has exploded, scoring a No.1 album in the UK this August for ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ almost a year after its release.
Although ‘Pink Pony Club’ is one of the oldest tracks on the setlist, Chappell has been performing many of the songs from her debut for years, yet she still delivers them with a fresh, electrifying feel. — — For the queers that make up the majority of the audience, this is not just a perfect pop gig—it’s a safe haven. She performs ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ in its entirety, its heartfelt lyrics capturing queer love and experience in all its shades.
The show begins with the ridiculously fun ‘Femininomenon’. After all, why can’t any man get it hot like Papa John? It’s a loaded and horny ode to women that gets the crowd revved from the get-go. There’s no standout song in this gig.
Everyone was singing along to every lyric. From the tender break-up ballad “Coffee” to the No.1 singalong single ‘Good Luck Babe’, this audience loves and feels it all equally.
Queer love isn’t just about being bitter (‘Kink is Karma’), it’s not just being heartbroken (‘Casual’), it’s not just being flirty (‘Red Wine Supernova’)—it’s everything, but we’re still reduced to stereotypes . As Chappell sings in her sob-inducing rendition of ‘Kaleidoscope’, “It’s never just a shape alone / love is a kaleidoscope.” — — As a drag-inspired artist, she refers to “Chappell Roan” as a project.
When she performs, she’s not Kayleigh Rose Amstutz from small-town Missouri; she’s the sassy, high-kicking, thematically-dressed showman who works her crowd flawlessly. Her live show is the cherry on top of her whole queer freak project; she’s an act you have to see live to experience her in full force. Chappell doesn’t need flashy stage production or big-name support acts—it’s just her, a three-piece band (Andrea Ferrero, Lucy Ritter & Allee Futterer), and some local queens; the same DIY setup of her pre-megastar shows.
Her songs have everything we need to make this concert phenomenal—a deep understanding of queer love, and how much the audience needs to hear it and sing it loud. This show is for the gays, and allies are welcome. If you’re not cool with that, get the fuck out of here.
— — Words: Charis McGowan Photography: Connie Burke —.
