The People of Manchester Love Pussy: King Princess TakesTheir Crown @ New Century Hall, Manchester

King Princess embarks on their EU leg of the Girl Violence tour, joined by Susannah Joffe.

Words and photos by Kaitlyn Brockley

It’s a cold, crisp Winter evening in Manchester, but looking at the crowd eagerly gathered for King Princess, you wouldn’t know it: the airy New Century Hall is crammed with white ribbed vests, baseball caps and cropped t-shirts; what seems to be the uniform for the audience of King Princess. Over two years since the last Manchester show, the crowd are excited: huddles of young teens line the front row, phones in hand and gazing up at the stage, ready to meet their queer idol. 

And it seems Susannah Joffe got the outfit memo, who drifts onto the stage to enthusiastic applause in a trailing denim sleeveless jacket and fringed bra and panties, hair bouffanted with volume that Dolly Parton would be proud of and a magnetic quality that draws the entire room to hush. With the Southern yearning of Lana Del Rey and the fierce camp attitude of Chappell Roan, the crowd are immediately won over, laughing to “I’d hate me too”, a whirring track about her “first gay breakup, bad vibes”. It’s not just her music – Joffe has a warm, charming quality, the sort of star power that makes a whole room stop to attention. The U.K has not been kind to her, treating her to a B12 shot and then a case of hives, but it’s hard to associate this image with the pop princess twirling on stage, the waistcoat floating around her cutting an image like Stevie Nicks. At the end of her set the crowd rush to the merch stand, new fans earned well. 

Then at the strike of nine, not a minute late, King Princess appears: a bundle of energy, tearing up and down the length of the stage, exploding into Marc Bolan-esque scissor kicks that sets the crowd off in raucous cheers. They ooze rock and roll swagger: hanging onto their belt lazily; ruffled shirt half-unbuttoned, guitar slung idly across. On stage they appear like Mick Jagger, but with a voice silky like Billie Eilish on tracks like “girls”, with its escalating chorus and venturing guitar solos. With a sloppy grin and easy wit, it’s not hard to see why King Princess has become somewhat of a gay icon: she advertises her bandmate to the crowd, “she’s gay, she plays guitar, any takers?” which warrants some eager cheers from the crowd. Track “Pussy is God” is a clear example of this, they ask “do you want more pussy?” before ripping into the sexy slinky track, off-beat jazz chords and crashing cymbals harking back to the golden age of 2010s indie. The crowd finishes the bridge as they ripple their body, as a few cheeks flush in the crowd.

Despite the consistent high-energy throughout the set, there are tender moments. ‘Alone again’ Is an intimate, acoustic moment for the ‘sad dykes’, whilst ‘Prophet’ (a diversion from the setlist thanks to a homemade sign popping up in the crowd’ is atmospheric, organ keys feeling religious, paired with a wandering bassline before swelling into swaggering solos. ‘Fantastic’ is the soundtrack to a proposal, and love sweeps the room: couples sway in each others’ arms, heads in the crook of necks; friends hold each other; solo gig goers dance in their own worlds freely. 

Title track “Girl Violence” is the standout moment of the set, a clear sign of the artistic growth of King Princess. Here, they bottle that vibrant energy that bubbles in the early hits, trapping it into one neat package – the bass reverberates in the floor, brooding and building, slow and atmospheric. “Cry cry cry” is the heaviest moment of the set, with a swaggering Springsteen sound and a sing-along chorus. 

Looking at the show tonight, it’s clear we need artists like King Princess more than ever. As LGBTQ+ rights start to roll back in the US and the UK, artists like King Princess create a safe environment for queer people young and old to feel welcomed and celebrated, where their identity can be recognised and embraced. Whilst they may be “fucking dumb gay songs” (Princess’ words not mine), these songs take on a whole new meaning once adopted by an audience, building foundations and inspiring people to celebrate who they are and enjoy their identity. And whilst that’s a big weight of their shoulders, I think that’s a weight that King Princess can carry.

Full gallery of photos from New Century Hall here!