Gig review: Celeste at The Level

It’s seemingly an uncertain time for Celeste. Despite being on the eve of her second LP – Woman of Faces – and having previously ascended into instantaneous acclaim with her universally praised debut album, Not Your Muse, recent revelations have worked to cast doubt on her happiness within the industry she still remains relatively new to. What should be a time of celebration is edged with the wariness of the age old story of the industry interfering with the music.

This feeling of unease threatened to remain an undercurrent throughout, were it not for one simple and indisputable factor; the sheer quality of Celeste’s singing voice. With that one weapon at her disposal, Celeste demands that the attention remains where it should; trained on the purity of one of the most soulful voices in British music.

As an outstore gig held with Rough Trade – whoever the booking agent for these shows deserves a huge raise - this show at The Level is ostensibly a showcase of Woman of Faces, though the ten-strong setlist is peppered with older favourites. Joining Celeste onstage are three string players and a pianist, meaning tonight promises to live up to the ‘An Intimate Evening With…’ billing by delivering an austere, stripped-back performance. 

Austere being an apt descriptor of the presentation, too. The stage is barely lit. In fact, the brightest light on the whole stage is the iPad of the violinist. The rest comes from a dim orange spotlight; the single source of a constant glow, a point of warmth in the darkness in which the performers sit. Celeste herself drifts in and out of this, spending a not insignificant amount of time in pitch black.

Not that it matters. The lack of visual distraction only sharpens the focus on the sonic experience and what a special experience it is. Starting with the first two tracks from the upcoming LP, On With the Show and Keep Smiling, the mood is immediately set. The opener is soaring, a desperately sung paean to the defiance that is the through-line of the new songs.

On single Everyday, released stand-alone earlier this year, the melody of the vocal builds and builds, becoming anxious, dizzy with lust and confusion before the pressure is released with a forlorn “You tell me it’s wrong.” The pace drops and the cycle resets and it’s brutally, brilliantly effective.

Between songs, Celeste is self-admittedly shy and a little bashful. She cuts a slightly timid figure that belies the power and world-weariness in her voice. Dressed in a stunning purple outfit, she oozes class yet somehow still seems ingenuous as she talks about her innermost feelings in a nervy, modest way. The chasm between her self-effacement in conversation and the confidence of her voice only serves to make the latter more impactful.

Woman of Faces is strikingly lovely. Noirish and enriched with infinite soul, Celeste ruminates on womanhood and the challenges of it. Her voice starts low, fragile and a little morose before the bridge arrives and you can hear her audibly straightening her back to face those antagonists head on. As with most songs this evening, it’s a reminder of not just Celeste’s technical ability, but also her storytelling nous; every song expands and contracts with such deft beauty, the narrative communicated by tempo, by tone and by inflection as much as it is by mere power.

But what power... The denouement of Woman of Faces is shocking in its weight, that final held note a staggeringly gorgeous moment among many. Those moments – as with the huge rendition of Time Will Tell – somehow never stop being surprising. Each time without fail you can feel the audience holding their breath, the connection between crowd and artist so strong it’s almost tangible, before the moment passes and they roar their praise.

Strange is the highlight, because of course it is. Her biggest hit, it is met with the most rapturous applause. It may also be her best hit, both musically and in terms of how successfully it nails the theme of the passing of time and with it relationships. It is already a timeless classic and like so many of Celeste’s songs, wouldn’t sound out of place nestled next to the best from Nina Simone, or Etta James. The plaintive “I tried for you” that begins the track is devastating and doleful, suffused with emotion and laced with a multitude of meanings.

As the shadowy spy theme This is Who I Am (from TV show The Day of the Jackal) brings the show to a close, the narrative of the evening itself comes full circle. Celeste may seem at face value to be a delicate flower in a storm, but through that voice she proves herself to be a defiant, wilful and deeply strong woman. Her voice is her weapon and also her shield, deployed with utmost grace, exceptional skill and fathoms-deep soul. With it, she proves that she is, in so many ways, a force to be reckoned with. 

Celeste performed at The Level on 5th November 2025.