Music Editor Annabelle Craven writes on the whimsical brilliance of the Staircase to Stardom Tour
Audrey Hobert may have once been known as the roommate and songwriting collaborator of Gracie Abrams, credited on some of her chart-topping hits on The Secret of Us, yet last year saw Hobert solidify her place as a Gen Z pop icon in her own right. Bringing her Staircase to Stardom tour to Birmingham’s intimate O2 Academy 2, her live showmanship can only be described as singular, authentic, and dynamic, not to mention full of whimsy and female solidarity.
Hobert performed a 50-minute set comprised of her debut album Who’s The Clown? in full, opening with ‘I like to touch people’ followed by ‘Drive’ and ‘Wet Hair’. Many of these songs were buffered by a booming ‘voiceover’ that reflected a comical inner critic and made you feel like you were in a 2000s coming-of-age comedy. It became a metatheatrical moment of relatability and laughter, showing how Hobert faced that inevitable experience of self-doubt and awkwardness, a time when, as the voiceover reveals, “she never thought she would make it”. The monologue in the middle of ‘Wet Hair’ felt consistent to this movie theme, telling the story of being rated a 3/10 by guys from high school along to the song’s punchy beat. Perhaps due to her songwriting background, Hobert has certainly mastered the art of cadence, whether that’s in the wordy post-chorus of ‘Shooting star’, or this moment of nostalgically cinematic storytelling.
It all felt slightly chaotic in the most cohesive way
Other greatly comical parts of the tour’s theming include the costuming, with Hobert starting in a 10-foot-long trench coat and band members in brightly coloured wigs. Hobert’s cousin played a sort of stagehand role, bringing on pieces of set or costume, before then making a cameo playing the air saxophone in ‘Thirst Trap’. It all felt slightly chaotic in the most cohesive way.
Up next was the anthemic ‘Don’t go back to his ass’ before ‘Bowling alley’ where Hobert was constantly on the move and performing elements of the music video’s choreography with the crowd. Even as an audience member, be prepared to leave an Audrey Hobert concert feeling like you have done an hour of intense cardio.
Hobert kept up the energy by going for more of a rock vibe for ‘Sex and the city’, following on nicely from the strong drum beats we got in ‘Thirst Trap’. This switch-up from the studio version showed off her phenomenal vocals and ramped up the frustration that her twenties have not turned out the way the TV show promised, or as Hobert puts it in the song, ‘that sh*t’s overrated’ – a life lesson on imperfection and resilience.
Hobert kept the pace of the performance vibrant and theatrical
‘Phoebe’ became a standout moment for me – an unexpected one as I would not have put this track in my top three before the concert. Yet this was one of the most vulnerable points in the show, where Hobert shared how blown away she has been with fans’ connection to the song live. The song’s portrayal of moving to a new city and trying to find yourself was a beautifully shared feeling in the room, especially relatable for many fellow university students. Perhaps it would have been nice to hear more chatting in between songs, but Hobert kept the pace of the performance vibrant and theatrical nonetheless.
The main vibe of the concert can be summed up by Hobert affirming how the coolest thing you can do is be yourself. After all, she now has 1.4 million monthly Spotify listeners that would argue she is far better than that 3/10 rating. She was a role model for every single person in the crowd to not care as much what people think, with the punky ‘Chateau’ being an ultimate display of nonchalance and disregard for the cookie-cutter expectations in the celebrity world.
She brings a certain eccentric vibe that feels like a breath of fresh air within mainstream pop
After ‘Sue Me’ and ‘Silver Jubilee’, Hobert’s final song was a reprise of ‘Sue Me’ where fans were asked to put their phones away and just dance together. What came after this instruction was three minutes of joy and girlhood: everyone in the crowd screaming Hobert’s characteristically honest and subversive lyrics, particularly the fan-favourite ‘but f**king your ex is iconic’. She brings a certain eccentric vibe that feels like a breath of fresh air within mainstream pop. I mean, who else would be rocking out to their closing song with an on-stage mini trampoline? Her sold-out Birmingham date, which came just days after announcing more for the summer, shows that the demand for Hobert’s catchy lyrics and playful synths will not dwindle anytime soon. Despite a December 2025 interview with the Los Angeles Times revealing she had not resumed writing yet, fans are safe to expect an incredible sophomore album when the time comes.
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