Live Review: Maisie Peters @ The Triffid

It's 5pm at The Triffid, and a group of girls in Y2K outfits start queuing along the footpath. Rising UK star, Maisie Peters, has booked 780 people tonight, with the whole first floor completely packed and even more people cheering from the second floor.

As our phones read 8pm, Kiwi artist Navvy dances onto the stage singing Mad at You, casting a chill but energising vibe with her indie pop track with 80s undertones. The 24-year-old, with a deep and grounded voice resembling Adele's, set a really high standard of talent this night. Shining without overpowering Maisie, she perfectly compliments the UK singer with their similar themes of young love and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it.

Fans start singing along to the pre-prepared background playlist, getting louder and louder, impatiently waiting for the headlining act to begin. After all, this is Maisie’s debut tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The crowd gasps as the stage turns crimson and the first notes of the electric guitar ring through the humid air. Band members emerge from the shadow and Maisie grabs the mic, her flare catching fire under the lights. The screaming crowd, mesmerised by her aura, simmered for a second as she muttered the first words to Not Another Rockstar.

From posting original songs to YouTube in 2015 to touring with Ed Sheeran, Maisie is now on her very own headlining tour of Australia and New Zealand with Tina Hizon on keys, Jack Geary on Drums, and Joel Peat on Bass. Through catchy tunes, effortless storytelling, and poetic lyrics, she recognises the bad habit of wanting someone despite being walked all over in Worst of You.

Pic by Sophie Scott 

In her next performance of I’m Trying, she convincingly plays the part of the girl next door, circling the stage and flipping her dyed blond hair as she rehashes another love story gone wrong.

“It’s really the most craziest, most magical, most incredible thing to know that that album connected with you like it connected with me, so thank you so much,” she says to the crowd regarding her You Signed Up for This album release in 2021. With faint backing vocals and a strum of her guitar, she expresses her gratitude, jumping into her favourite song on the album, Love Him I Don’t.

Four songs in and she continues to baffle us with her diary-style lyrics as we join her journey of nostalgia, bad decisions, and self-reflection through Brooklyn, Outdoor Pool, and The List.

“It’s my most scathing…” she says about her second album, The Good Witch, set for release on June 16th. The crowd was then dealt a treat experiencing a taste of the UK singer’s second album through the melodically fun but lyrically vulnerable single, Body Better.

“I write songs for all sorts of people,” the 22-year-old starts after her album tease. “But there are some that I especially write songs for. The damaged, the repressed, the evil, the villains.” Maisie shows no shame in expressing jealousy, embracing evil and being the anti-hero in her song Villain.

Pic by Sophie Scott

Keeping us on our toes, Masie launches into two Aussie favourites, Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn and Missy Higgins’ Scar. 

Pulling us back into her world, she starts on You Signed Up for This, the anthem-style title track of her first album. Maisie changes the lyrics from ‘I still haven’t got my driver’s license’ to ‘I just got my driver’s license’, which we celebrate with her.

There’s a unique familiarity to this UK singer as if we’re sitting on her bedroom floor, gossiping about boys, sharing each other’s mishaps and adventures like teenagers.

After a compilation of some of her more heartfelt songs, including Glowing Review, Volcano, and Favorite Ex, Maisie spills her secret to songwriting: she writes about real people. While it's often hard to tell who she's writing about, other times, it's easy to know, such as with her hit Cate’s Brother.

With a total change in tone, Maisie jumps into a truly entertaining three-part story of meeting Cate’s brother, inviting us into the party where it started. And yes, we all know she ended up dating Cate’s brother. 

Fans realise the show is coming to an end as Maisie performs her popular pop track Psycho, before moving on to her last song, John Hughes.

As the UK singer walks off the stage, the crowd immediately calls for an encore. After an anxious pause, Maisie returns for the last time, rocking her blonde hair, a decision that came out of her breakup outlined in Blonde, which she performs flawlessly.

“This is my first ever headline show in Brisbane. Which is pretty cool. It means, in 10 years time, you’ll be able to say you were here,” Maisie exclaims with a wink.

But she’s right. This night at The Triffid will be a night to remember.

Pic by Sophie Scott