As part of a 5 date UK run with support from Super Computer and Tommy Cash, Oliver Tree is in Manchester tonight on his ‘Oliver Tree Presents Alone In A Crowd’ tour promoting his third album released a couple of months ago.
Anyone who has attended an Oliver Tree show before will know he is a performer that leans into personality and style, he is never one to blend into a crowd shall we say! There’s always a sense of characterization whether through style choice or haircut but one thing that will be omnipresent in any performance is the insane energy he brings.
As is customary for many of his shows, there are always jokes about illness forcing cancellation and threats of retirement which never seem to quite come to fruition, yet somehow there is an ease with which he engages with the crowd, creating a sense of fun and freedom and not taking himself too seriously – even more evident with the over the top bowl cut, outfit changes and characters that have become synonymous with his live shows.
Opening with the smash hit ‘Miss You’, which now boasts over 500 million streams on Spotify, Oliver enters stage as his new character Cornelius Cummings. In his typically genre bending style, the tracks range from rap to electronic with some rock, pop and indie thrown in for good measure, the set is a good blend of songs spanning his career rather than relying too heavily on his newest album ‘Alone In A Crowd’. From the invigorating beats of ‘Bounce’ to the dreamy vibes of ‘One & Only’, Oliver Tree’s showmanship shines as he seamlessly intertwines new tracks with popular anthems ‘Cowboy Tears’ and ‘Life Goes On’.
Oliver truly is a ball of energy offering a little bit of something for everyone and with the individuality and unique interpretations he brings, it’s easy to see why he is well on the way to becoming a cult phenomenon.
