It was an ethereal dark Disneyland for the girls, gays, theys, and non-binary queens ran by the empress herself, Chappell Roan. As soon as you walked through the security gates, you were greeted with an overwhelming feeling of an inclusive, safe space of rainbow that was once only experienced at Pride— now with the added touch of a sea of pink cowboy hats, feather boas, and glitter from head to toe.
The set up itself was as if Pride and Glastonbury had joined together and made its way to the Royal Highlands Centre of Edinburgh, with an array of food trucks, merch stands, and an illuminated ferris wheel guiding us all inside the grounds. There were 110 acres of land to fill, and an army of 60,000 pink ponies stormed this castle chanting, “Chappell. Chappell. Chappell F****n Roan.” Even the empress herself knew she was in for a wild night.
The main stage was first graced by the fabulous Ru Jazzle, Miss Peaches, and Devine Tension, warming the crowd up perfectly with their drag-tastic performances. Next to run the stage was none other than power house JADE, stunning the audience with her hit singles “Plastic Box,” “Angel Of My Dreams,” “FUFN,” and “IT girl,” along with throwing in a little mix medley for her long standing fans in the audience.
After a suspenseful wait, it goes without saying that Chappell’s entrance to her kingdom of adoring fans was nothing short of spectacular. As the intro bellowed out of the speakers and the dark castle began to light, the icon herself stepped into view dressed in the finest embellished jester costume in all the land. The pink pony army shrieked and screamed in pure excitement as the live lyrics to “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” blessed their ears. The night continued with impeccable vocals and stage performances of all hit singles such as “Femininomenon,” “Casual,” “The Subway,” “Red Wine Supernova,” and “The Giver,” just to name a few, along with surprising her audience with a cover of her favourite song “Barracuda.” She ended her 1 hour 45 minute non-stop set with “Pink Pony Club.”
During the night, Chappell announced to the audience that tonight was her biggest headline show of her career! She thanked her fans from the bottom of her heart for supporting her, going on to say, “I really needed this when I was 14, I just really needed a place that I could be around people that weren’t afraid to be hyper-feminine or hyper-masculine or neither or both!”
Her vulnerability created emotion that spread throughout each person within the crowd. Chappell went on to say, “I needed something that felt like I could be free. That is what you have given me. Every night I get to stand on stage and feel what freedom feels like.” It was a sincere moment that allowed fans to resonate with her words, and for her to show them how much she appreciates them and their support.
Her closing remarks during this speech expressed her love to each and every soul in the crowd, saying “You are wanted here and you are cherished exactly the way you are. I love you and you are safe here,” leaving fans in a cheering uproar filled with genuine emotion.
The tale of this unforgettable night of dark fairytale bliss will be reminisced for years to come. Thank you Chappell Roan for bringing such an accepted, loving space for all to experience, and we wish you luck on your conquest to musical victory.
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