by Michael McCarthy
You never know what might happen at a Kate Nash concert. At the opening night of her North American tour at Somerville’s Arts at the Armory, the British singer-songwriter became an impromptu matchmaker, offered lessons in Irish history, spoke passionately about women’s and transgender rights, and even turned part of the evening into something resembling a comedy show. Oh, and she sang some fantastic songs, too.
Early in the evening, Nash confessed, “I was very worried when we booked this intimate tour that I would turn into a stand-up comedian.” As it turned out, she had good reason to worry. Fortunately, she’s as entertaining when she’s talking as she is when she’s singing.
But more about that later.
The evening began with a lovely performance by Boston-based acoustic folk duo Sweet Petunia, consisting of Mairead Guy and Maddy Simpson. Performing with string instruments and almost impossibly beautiful harmonies, the pair reminded me of First Aid Kit and The Watson Twins. Occasionally, one would sing lead while the other provided backing vocals, but they spent much of their set singing together in perfect harmony.
Their music was delicate and pretty, but their lyrics had considerable substance. One particularly moving number, “Clementine,” featured the refrain “My darling Clementine, please stay with me.” There was something almost desperate about the way they sang it, as though they were pleading with someone they loved to stay alive or remain in their lives.
With Election Day falling on the same night, Sweet Petunia also asked whether audience members had voted. Someone shouted “No on eight!” in reference to a Massachusetts ballot question about making recreational marijuana illegal again, drawing applause from part of the crowd. One of the musicians responded, “I agree,” while the other added, “There’s so little that we have. They can’t take it away from us.”
The duo expressed their excitement about being asked to open for Nash at the last minute. They also mentioned their new album, Foggy Mountain Mental Breakdown, released on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. Based on this performance, they’re certainly worth investigating further.
We don’t have any live photos from the show but we
believe this photo shows Kate wearing the dress that
she had on during the concert.
When Nash took the stage, she was accompanied by two musicians, one playing guitar and the other fiddle. This was a considerably more intimate setup than the full-band performances some fans might have expected. While a few songs incorporated prerecorded drum tracks, most featured no percussion whatsoever.
Nash opened with “Famine,” her interpretation of the Sinéad O’Connor song about Ireland’s Great Famine and British colonialism. Before performing it, Nash explained that she had written an additional verse herself. Accompanying herself on the tin whistle, she delivered the song with an intensity bordering on anger, practically rapping portions of the lyrics over beats that wouldn’t sound out of place in hip-hop.
The song also provided an opportunity for Nash to discuss her complicated relationship with her English and Irish heritage, an important subject on her forthcoming sixth studio album, Cailín, due January 22, 2027.
Nash explained that she had spent years working in what she called the “sausage factory” of professional pop songwriting, an experience she described as “soul destroying.” Although she had been writing songs for artists like Selena Gomez, what she really wanted was “to make an Irish record about my family.”
Eventually, a songwriting session with producer KoOoLkOjAk, which she initially tried to cancel, helped set her on the path toward making that album. According to Nash, the project has been eleven years in the making.
The next song, the title track “Cailín,” demonstrated how successfully she has blended traditional Irish influences with contemporary pop and rock. Featuring heavy, raw guitars and pounding prerecorded drums, the song addressed the frustration of being underestimated simply because you’re a girl. By its conclusion, Nash had the audience repeatedly chanting “create, create.”
“That was so beautiful. Thank you. That was amazing,” she exclaimed afterward.
At this point, Nash encouraged audience members to stand and gather around the stage, transforming the previously seated concert into something much more energetic. She also ventured into the audience herself several times during the evening, even performing one song from the back of the room for the people who had remained seated.
The playful “Mouthwash,” from her 2007 debut album Made of Bricks, was another highlight. Accompanied by electric guitar, Nash delivered the song with the mischievous charm that made her such a distinctive artist in the first place.
Elsewhere, “Take Me to a Higher Plane” received a lively, Irish-flavored arrangement, while “You’re So Cool, I’m So Freaky” found Nash embracing her outsider status. She emphasized the repeated word “freaky” with such gleeful abandon that the audience erupted in cheers.
Some of the traditional Irish flourishes reminded me of The Corrs, particularly the way that group blended Celtic instrumentation with contemporary pop. But Nash brings a decidedly punk attitude to the combination, along with an inclination to tackle political and social subjects that many mainstream pop musicians avoid.
A particularly powerful example was “Spilt Milk,” a protest song about reproductive rights. Nash introduced the subject by discussing abortion restrictions in Ireland and the depressing longevity of certain political struggles. “Some songs are very relevant. Wish they’d become less relevant,” she remarked.
The song itself was brimming with frustration and righteous anger, its repeated cries of “I scream” conveying the desperation of someone whose voice is being ignored. It reminded me of First Aid Kit’s equally furious “You Are the Problem Here.”
Nash also spoke extensively about transgender rights, homophobia, feminism and the toxicity of online discourse.
“I’m a very outspoken feminist and I always have been,” she declared.
Discussing the hateful comments she receives online, she acknowledged that it seemed ridiculous to allow strangers on the internet to dictate her actions. She was particularly scathing about the people behind the comments, observing, “What’s worse than bots are people, grown-ups who should fucking know better.”
That discussion led naturally into “GERM,” her provocative pro-transgender anthem, which took aim at exclusionary feminism, toxic masculinity and political figures including Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It was one of the evening’s most confrontational performances, demonstrating that Nash isn’t remotely interested in keeping her opinions to herself.
Unfortunately, the show was interrupted when an audience member experienced a medical emergency near the stage. Nash immediately stopped performing, asked the crowd to make room and repeatedly checked whether an ambulance had been called. She appeared genuinely concerned about the fan’s well-being.
The interruption lasted approximately fifteen minutes. When the situation had been addressed, Nash announced, “Gonna change the setlist a bit.”
She resumed with a new song called “Rage,” performed with little more than acoustic guitar accompaniment. Describing the difficulty of dealing with anger and the desire to find some kind of peace, the song showcased a more vulnerable side of her songwriting. Nash explained that it wouldn’t be appearing on Cailín, joking that fans might have to wait another four years for its release.
Another new number was “Christmas Eve,” which Nash said would be released as a single the following week. Rather than a conventional festive singalong, it was a characteristically Kate Nash pop song set against a Christmas backdrop.
Of course, no Kate Nash performance would be complete without “Foundations.” The audience enthusiastically sang along with the familiar hit, demonstrating that the material from Made of Bricks remains as beloved as ever nearly twenty years after its release.
But perhaps the evening’s funniest moment had nothing to do with music.
Nash had noticed a personal advertisement on the Armory’s community bulletin board, posted by a man looking for a girlfriend. She thought his message sounded sweet and encouraged any single audience members to read it. Amazingly, a woman in attendance turned out to be friends with the man and offered to call him.
Naturally, Nash accepted.
With the audience cheering, the woman called her friend and explained that she was attending a Kate Nash concert and that Nash was discussing his personal advertisement. The phone was put on speaker, and Nash began talking to him in front of the entire audience.
The man explained that he had grown tired of dating apps, which was why he’d decided to try something different. Nash enthusiastically agreed with his assessment of modern dating and predicted that his advertisement would soon generate plenty of attention, perhaps even invitations to a hundred Christmas parties.
“Your true love could be a Kate Nash fan,” she told him.
You certainly don’t get moments like that at every concert.
The evening concluded with an encore performance of “Birds,” another charming selection from Made of Bricks.
As entertaining as the concert was, however, I couldn’t help wishing Nash had performed at least a few more songs. Her between-song stories were often hilarious, and her discussions of politics and social issues were genuinely engaging. But there were times when she spent as much time talking as singing.
At one point, she even announced, “I’m not gonna play a song. I’m actually just gonna talk.” The audience laughed, but by the end of the evening, I found myself wishing she’d devoted a little more time to the music.
The stripped-down arrangements were generally effective, but I also would have appreciated a live drummer. Although the more intimate approach suited some of the material, other songs could have benefited from the additional energy of a full rhythm section.
To be fair, the medical emergency may have contributed to the relatively short setlist. Nash specifically mentioned changing her plans afterward, and it’s impossible to know how many songs, if any, were eliminated because of the interruption.
Still, there is a difference between enjoying an artist’s extended storytelling and feeling that it has adequately compensated for a relatively modest number of musical performances. Nash was undeniably entertaining, but I would have welcomed a little less conversation and a little more music.
Nevertheless, there was something wonderfully refreshing about the entire experience. Nash came across as funny, outspoken, compassionate, spontaneous and completely unfiltered. She was unafraid to speak her mind, equally willing to make the audience laugh or challenge them to think, and clearly interested in connecting with her fans rather than merely performing for them.
It wasn’t quite the concert I had expected, but it was certainly memorable.
And somewhere out there, a single man who was tired of dating apps has a pretty remarkable story to tell about the night Kate Nash tried to find him a girlfriend.
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