“Are we having a nice time so far? Are we getting a bit warmer?” Amy Macdonald grins, peering out at a Hammersmith Apollo audience bundled into coats and scarves. It’s a question that becomes a running joke throughout the night — because despite the November chill and the decidedly frugal heating, Macdonald sets about warming the 5,000-capacity venue the only way she knows how: with humour, heart, and a powerhouse performance that leaves no seat unshaken.
Amy Macdonald @ Hammersmith Apollo
Her band walk out first, taking their places under cool blue lights, before Macdonald strolls on, wrapped against the cold but smiling easily. Without hesitation, she leads them straight into the title track of her sixth album, Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For? — a bold, confident opening that ignites the room instantly.
Dream On follows, pulling the front stalls into a tug-of-war between seat etiquette and the irresistible urge to stand and sing every word. Then The Hudson rolls in with its moody Americana glow, setting the tone for the evening.
But it’s her first conversation with the crowd that truly breaks the ice — literally. “I do not know about you guys but it’s bloody freezing in this place,” she announces, her Scottish accent melting any lingering stiffness. She gestures to her jacket: “The jacket was not part of the stage outfit… I convinced myself they’d turn the heating on for punters. Obviously not.” The audience roars. So does she. “The only hot place in this entire building is my dressing room — fan heater set to 30 degrees and it still wasn’t quite warm enough for me.”
With the room now laughing along, she shifts into Spark, its clap-along intro spreading warmth the heating system refuses to provide. Mr. Rock & Roll is the first track to finally get the entire lower floor on its feet, and Fire burns with Adam Falkner’s explosive drumming as Macdonald’s voice rings out with its distinctive, almost Celtic edge.
Amy Macdonald @ Hammersmith Apollo
Then comes football — the topic everyone knew she’d arrive at. “So, you might be wonderin’ how long it would take for me to mention football?” she teases. The answer, of course, is not long at all. Still riding the high of Scotland’s 4–2 win over Denmark earlier in the week, she gleefully recounts her disbelief at seeing the match on “the main BBC down here” rather than scrambling for an illegal stream. “This song just does not work anymore,” she jokes while introducing Pride. “We are now this incredible football team!”
The run through Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over and a soaring, steadily building Run has the venue fully warmed — vocally, if not thermally. Then comes a milestone: the live debut of I’m Done (Games That You Play), a jangling new album cut with a built-in clap-along that the audience embraces instantly. “That was the first time we’ve played that song… ever,” she admits. “Man, it’s a hard song to sing.”
Her between-song chatter remains a highlight, particularly when she reveals her decidedly unglamorous “drink station” by the drum riser: “I have a hot drink, a sugary drink, and another cup to spit my throat lozenges into.” The crowd howls, and she revels in it.
Slow It Down unleashes a full-crowd backing vocal, Poison Prince receives the biggest response so far, and she challenges everyone to survive the “very intense clapping sequence” of Statues without losing rhythm. Predictably, the challenge remains undefeated. Barrowland Ballroom brings another off-your-seat moment, and This Is The Life closes the main set in a triumphant, full-throated, whole-room singalong.
After a theatrically long wait — “I made you wait nearly as long as that referee took to blow his whistle on Tuesday night” — she returns alone for We Survive, filling the vast space with her voice alone. It’s a breathtaking moment of connection.
The band — Jimmy Sims (bass), Henry Broadbent (keys), Adam Falkner (drums), Gordon Turner (multi-instrumentalist), and Ben MacDonald (guitars) — then gather in a line for The Glen, Macdonald laughing as she clarifies: “I don’t know if you’ll know this song. It’s a song that became very popular when someone did a dance mix of it. This is not the dance mix. This is our version of the original version.” Finally, they take their full positions again and sweep the Apollo into Let’s Start A Band, ending the night with triumph, energy, and a venue that feels — at last — a little warmer.
Amy Macdonald @ Hammersmith Apollo
As the last notes of Let’s Start A Band soar through the Hammersmith Apollo, Amy Macdonald stands beaming, visibly moved by the warmth and volume of a crowd she’s spent the night teasing about the cold. What began as a shivery November evening has become a communal celebration of songwriting, storytelling and steel-spined Scottish charm. With a setlist that spans nearly two decades, a voice that refuses to waver, and a rapport that feels less like stage banter and more like catching up with an old friend, Macdonald proves once again why she remains one of the UK’s most quietly enduring live performers. If this is the tone she’s setting at the very start of her tour, the rest of the world is in for something special.
Live review & photography of Amy Macdonald @ Hammersmith Apollo, London by Kalpesh Patel on 20th November 2025.
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