Five years! That’s how long ago Shura last played in London, which is hard to believe. I blame it on the pandemic. It may now be a distant memory, but it has surely distorted our sense of time. Or at least mine. Anyway, the iconic “millesbian” is finally back with a new album and two low-key shows at London’s Bush Hall.

In case you don’t know, Shura is a British singer, songwriter and producer. Heavily inspired by the 80s and 70s, her music is usually classified as synth-pop. She is best known for the sleeper hit “Touch”, which I first heard in HMV sometime in 2016, and have been a big fan ever since.

On the first of two shows on 10 June, the support act was French singer Laura Cahen, promoting her album De l’autre côté (On the Other Side) – a story of two women fighting for their love in a hostile, dystopian world. Quiet and acoustic, her set couldn’t have been a more fitting prelude to Shura whose third LP I Got Too Sad for My Friends is her most mellow one yet.

Addressing the long break from touring, Shura mentioned her shyness and warned that she’ll either chat too much or not at all. Sometimes she was adorably awkward; other times, a bit cringey (“Being a lesbian and playing Bush Hall is the honour of my life”).

Shura performed the new album in its entirety, even largely following the running order. And so, the show opened with “Tokyo”, a gentle nod to the city where she played her last concert before the world was hit by the pandemic. “Leonard Street” and “Richardson” name-checked New York places where Shura would go for long walks in the days of lockdowns. The COVID story continued on the anxiety-fuelled “Online”.

The mood lifted on the upbeat new single “World’s Worst Girlfriend”. After delivering the slightly self-deprecating lyrics, Shura called to her girlfriend in the audience asking if she really deserves this unflattering title. The quick “No!” came from somebody else, but made Shura happy nonetheless.

“Recognise”, described as an anthem for people in their thirties, stroke a chord with relatable lyrics about craving some “me time” at home “with a coffee and a good book”. Introducing the political track “America”, Shura said she wrote it a few years ago, at a turbulent time of the US history – only for it to land when things had turned for the worse.

In-between the dreamy material from album 3, earlier hits invigorated the setlist. It took the fans only an instant to recognize “Religion (U Can Lay Your Hands on Me)”, which they greeted with a loud cheer. “Touch” – introduced as “the song that started it all” – won an even bigger applause.

“I’ve always wanted to sing this song here – you’ll see in verse two,” she said before launching into “2Shy”. The lyrical reference to Uxbridge Road, where Bush Hall is located, sparked another ovation. The acoustic “Bad Kid” brought the show to an end, with Shura sat on a chair which loyal fans would have seen in her lockdown Twitch livestreams.

Shura is known for being consistent with her visuals and cover art. That’s why I expected to see the armour she’s donning on the cover of the new album. Just like she sported the white ‘Pope hat’ from the “Religion” video on tour at the time. But wouldn’t that be too much to ask? She already felt too hot wearing just her casual top, remarking that she’s in her “long sleeve era”.

Her signature melancholic alt-pop has been so missed! With the usual dry humour, Shura invited to show number 2 (“come tomorrow, it could be good”) and hinted at a full-fledged tour in a not-too-distant future.

Setlist: “Tokyo”, “Leonard Street”, “Religion (U Can Lay Your Hands on Me)”, “Recognise”, “World’s Worst Girlfriend”, “Richardson”, “Online”, “I Wanna Be Loved by You”, “2Shy”, “If You Don’t Believe in Love”, “Ringpull”, “Touch”, “America”, “Skyline, Be Mine”, “Bad Kid”

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