As NOAHFINNCE bursts onto stage at his jam-packed headline London show, it’s clear the journey from YouTuber to fully-fledged rockstar is complete. Wearing a huge grin as he looks over an ecstatic room of fans, you can’t help but feel the singer is riding the crest of a wave.
Over the next hour, the 24-year-old delivers a rip-roaring set of hits, fan favourites and unreleased material with a swagger that suggests he too feels that his 10-year-long journey in the spotlight is about to be catapulted to new heights.
It’s hard to believe that just an hour earlier a laidback Noah explained to CelebMix that the idea of touring used to be so nerve-wracking it would overwhelm him. “I would get sick from anxiety,” he admitted, speaking of stressing over the logistics of a tour bus and finding the exact minute to start vocal warm-ups. “Every time I toured it would be so up and down. This one is just fun and so much more relaxed. Now I’m so much more confident going on stage.”
Even when releasing viral debut ditty ‘Asthma Attack’ back in 2018, the star’s candid music never lacked conviction but it’s easy to hear that newfound confidence Noah speaks of in recent releases. Indeed, at The Dome that ukelele-led first single is met with excitement, but the songwriter’s crowd is at its most animated for the newer releases.
One of those comes right off the bat when Noah lurches into snarling opener ‘GROWING UP ON THE INTERNET‘. His standout release to date, the track provides a supercut of the star’s career thus far and, by the time it crescendos into its final chorus, the single has whipped up a frenzy in North London.
It’s an appropriate track to kick off the night too. Not only is it his latest single but Noah shares that in recording his upcoming debut album he’s felt a newfound willingness to put pen to paper on the surreal adolescent years that began his journey to becoming the rising alt-pop talent he is today.
“I feel like the past few years, growing up on the internet and seeing how people perceive me, being in my 20s has made me look back and reflect on who I was as a person ten years ago,” he shares. “My entire adolescence is on the internet for everybody to see. The more I grow, the more anxious I get about that – how much do I want people to see of my life?”
It’s natural for anyone in their early 20s to cringe at social media posts shared as a teenager, NOAHFINNCE isn’t alone in feeling that sentiment, but the fact that the star’s hundreds of thousands of followers have grown up with him makes for a one-of-a-kind audience.
The Dome is filled with a sea of colours on Tuesday night. Some groups appear to have formed friendships online through love for the music, others are at ease letting loose alone and there’s a gaggle of parents at the back who have brought children – many of whom queer – who can’t stop their feet tapping and hands clapping either. It’s truly, very special.
Chatting straight after spending an hour and a half engaging with VIP ticket holders, CelebMix asks the star just how much his fans are a part of a NOAHFINNCE show. “Probably more than is normal,” he laughs.
“I feel because I don’t just post music and tour, I’ve been documenting my entire life since I was 15 – if you could know someone parasocially and actually know them, I feel like I’m the closest you can get to that. I wouldn’t be doing this without any of them and they are very much part of it. It’s the nicest thing and it makes me so happy.”
An example of the NOAHFINNCE fandom passion comes halfway through the night as the singer plays unreleased track ‘SCUMBAG‘ – which hit streaming services today. The flick is anti-TERF slapback that serves as an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community at a time when transphobia is rife. Just 30 seconds of the song had been shared online before the night, yet even so, when that bridge arrives the London crowd rally it back at the star.
‘SCUMBAG’ is another taste of the singer’s upcoming debut album. A thumping flick that turns anger and frustration into an empowering hit, Noah cites The Prodigy and Kesha as influences for the sound. “I’m excited about it,” he admits just 24 hours before the track dropped.
“I used to hate releasing songs because I’d compare the numbers. My entire adolescence was posting a video or two every week and comparing numbers but with ‘SCUMBAG’ it’s been different.”
There’s no doubt the reception that the track has received every night on tour will have helped, it even gets introduced with a Harry Potter soundbite side eye at JK Rowling. At another moment, NOAHFINNCE shouts, ‘scream if you f***ing hate Rishi Sunak’ before delivering another unreleased track fighting gender stereotypes in ‘Lovely Ladies’, which he teases includes a McFly co-write.
Other highlights in the night come as almighty pits form for ‘MIND BLANK NO THOUGHTS’ and closer ‘WORMS (In My Brain)’. ‘WIERDOS’ packs a big pop chorus which levels up in the live show and the singer nods approvingly as the crowd chant back the lyrics of ‘Kicking Trash’.
Excitement reaches an almost religious fervour as Noah steps away from his microphone before ‘LALALA’ to conduct a choral singalong to the single’s refrain – the energy in the room has the potential to be arena-sized.
Next year, NOAHFINNCE will get his first taste at venues of that grandeur, including Wembley Arena, as he supports Enter Shikari across the UK. “I don’t think you can really mentally prepare yourself for it until you do it,” he nervously admits, despite already boosting his production in anticipation. “I love planning because planning reduces anxiety but some things you just can’t plan for.”
NOAHFINNCE’s feet are clearly very much on the ground, but whether he is ready or not, it’s clear things are about to get a whole lot bigger. Armed with an exciting new sound, a debut album and a fanbase ready to follow him wherever he goes, it won’t be too long until those arena shows are his own.
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