Review of Anne-Marie at Thetford Forest: Chart-topping star made evening out humorous yet empowering
I was very excited to pack a picnic once again to head down to Thetford Forest on Friday, this time to see the chart-topping Anne-Marie take to the stage.
But did my friend Liv and I expect to see a packet of quinoa and a bra being thrown on stage? Absolutely not – but in my opinion it made the evening more entertaining.
Out of context it sounds very odd, but in a weird way it really showed the connection she has with her devoted fans.
In the past I’ve enjoyed watching a variety of artists perform here. The Script, Rudimental and Paloma Faith all stand out for me.
It seemed like it was meant to be for me to see see Anne-Marie on the list of acts performing at Forestry England’s ‘Forest Live’ concert series as she was a supporting act when I went to see Rudimental in 2016.
At the time, Anne-Marie was kick-starting her music career and she definitely stood out to my 15-year-old self.
If I remember correctly, she played Do It Right and Alarm, and I went to Friday’s concert with hopes that some of her slightly older songs would be performed along with newer tracks such as 2002 and Kiss My (Uh Oh).
Luckily for me, many of her older songs were played, with a particular favourite of mine and Liv’s being Rockabye – originally performed with Clean Bandit and Sean Paul.
Her brilliant vocals echoed across the forest and I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy her latest tracks on her new album Unhealthy, which is being released next month.
She played a couple of songs highlighting body positivity which was excellent – and I’m sure was very empowering for lots of young girls and women in the crowd.
But before that, the audience was warmed up by TikTok star Mae Stephens who peaked at number 13 in the UK charts with her song If We Ever Broke Up.
Touching on heartbreak with a bit of revenge, her songs were catchy and she put on a good show.
Anne-Marie definitely has a huge fanbase, who she engaged with throughout the show which was lovely to see.
Her charismatic and funny persona was enhanced by the audience throwing a true variety of items up on stage, from a packet of quinoa to a signed bra.
Anne-Marie quickly explained that she had posted on her Instagram story a few days before that she couldn’t find quinoa in any supermarkets. And as for the bra, I think a group of fans were pretty keen to gift something memorable.
I’ve always found gigs which are part of Forestry England’s ‘Forest Live’ concert series to have a great atmosphere. I personally enjoy going to the outdoor venue with the option of taking your own food and drink, or buying something from one of the many kiosks – not to mention that it’s not far from home.
Anne-Marie started off as a support act and has become the star of the show. Maybe in seven years time I’ll be returning to Thetford to see Mae Stephens as a headline act too.
