Live Review: Melissa Etheridge – 17th June 2025 – Union Chapel, London, UK

Dressed in head-to-toe leather and swapping guitars with each song – if she wasn’t perched behind her piano on the very quaint stage of North London’s Union Chapel – US superstar Melissa Etheridge gave London fans a masterclass in acoustic rock’n’roll last night as she packed the house of one of London’s most spectacular performances spaces for a one-off show in the capital.

Following a punchy opening of No Souvenirs from the singers 1989 sophomore record, Brave and Crazy, the Kansas native turned LA-resident delivered a stellar solo set for frenzied fans as she regularly expressed her love for London and told many anecdotes about her connection to the city and the country, including the fact that England was the birthplace of her very first international tour.

“I’m so glad I got here on your brink of summer” Etheridge told the crowd before her performance of Yes I Am as she gazed around the gorgeous chapel with its colourful stained-glass windows that would eventually light up in the most spectacular colours as the sun set outside and the small tea candles placed around the venue would shine.  “I’m very curious about that Ruth and Naomi though” she said to a laughing crowd as she drew attention to the biblical narrative that was drawn into one of the windows to her upper right – a cheeky nod to her own out and proud sexuality and that of her LGBTQI+ fanbase who were there to celebrate one of our own – especially important with it being Pride Month in the UK.

Through many anecdotes told by the star throughout the evening, fans were taken into the backstory of Etheridge who shared moments from her childhood and her pursuit of a music career. Before her performance of Occasionally, we heard how the singer moved from Kansas to LA at an early age and began working in woman’s bars playing the piano for 5 years as she played one of the highlight songs of the set to nothing more than the thump on her guitar which provided the beat.

With a voice that is still as powerful as it was in the nineties when the singer enjoyed the peak of her commercial success thanks to hits like Come To My Window, I’m the Only One, Bring Me Some Water and Like the Way I Do, which were delivered back to back to the crowd in the closing section of the set and had fans rush the stage to get up close during the final musical moments, Etheridge showed last night’s audience just how impactful of a musician she has been with her strong musical storytelling, impeccable instrumental skills and confident showmanship.

With the help of a loop that she would record to assist her solo performance on a few numbers in the set, Royal Station 4/16 was accompanied by the singer’s harmonica skills, while a nod to the latest generation of queer artists was delivered with a tie in of Chappell Roan’s Red Wine Supernova with her own I Want to Come Over. There was even time for a touching tribute to her longtime but very reclusive friend, Joan Armatrading as she delivered a beautiful and gentle cover of The Weakness in Me which was given one of several standing ovations form fans throughout the venue.

It was a stripped back night of pure acoustic perfection by one of the greatest rock stars that the US has produced and one of the boldest and most openly proud of entertainers.

Setlist:
No Souvenirs
Yes I Am
Occasionally
The Late September Dogs
Royal Station 4/16
The Weakness in Me (Joan Armatrading cover)
I Want to Come Over / Red Wine Supernova
Let Me Go
Nowhere to Go
You Can Sleep While I Drive
Chrome Plated Heart
I’m the Only One
Come to My Window
Bring Me Some Water
Like the Way I Do

Brendon Veevers

::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.