On Saturday, October 17th, talented British performer and strong vocalist Bishop Briggs kicked off her return to the stage (virtually of course), with her Champion Tour Live Stream. Fans gathered in the chat from around the world to watch the talented singer-songwriter once again. Fans watched the stream from New York City, Texas, California, Switzerland and Mexico, to name a few. Everyone was eager to get the concert started and they were chatting about the meet and greet zoom hangout with Bishop that had taken place before the concert. They were getting to know one another and it was clear they were all huge fans of Bishop Briggs and her music. People were sharing stories of when they were able to see her in person and their live concert experiences. The way everyone was interacting in the chat made the event feel more personal and created a very comfortable atmosphere.
When it was time for everything to begin, the screen shifted to a virtual countdown. The countdown started ticking down from four minutes and 30 seconds. It felt like that moment at a live concert when the lights go down and people can feel the excitement level rise as one of their favorite artists is about to take the stage. That feeling never gets old and it will be absolutely phenomenal when it gets to happen again. This simple effect of the countdown clock and simple beats that accompanied it gave that same effect—pure excitement. When the countdown was over, the beats seamlessly flowed into Bishop Briggs’s opening song “CHAMPION,” which was more than fitting.
“CHAMPION” came off the 2019 album CHAMPION, and was an immediate attention grabber as Bishop Briggs began her concert. Fans in the chat were going crazy now that it had officially started. The stage and set were very simple, but still gave the same effect of a live stage. It was a small stage with classic box stage-lights and two walls to make a corner in the back. The projections on the walls were sometimes solid colors, sometimes they’d have lyrics and sometimes they had shapes. Overall it was simple and exciting at the same time, and it did not distract from the very lively and entertaining performance that Bishop Briggs was putting on. While she performed solo, she thanked veeps (the venue and stream company), and the team of people that people couldn’t see in the stream.
Next up was 2018 banger, “Wild Horses” from the album Church of Scars. The transition from “CHAMPION” was so easy and it flowed smoothly. Bishop Briggs even welcomed everyone to the party and thanked them for showing up to the stream while the music began to play. This song had a Billie Eilish/ Halsey kind of feel while keeping the same energy from “CHAMPION.” Bishop Briggs had a smile on her face while she was jumping around the stage, and people could tell this was definitely something that she missed doing. The visuals were bright and captivating while not taking away from her vocals.
Early on into the show, she played the song “WILD” from the 2019 album CHAMPION. While this was slightly on the slower side, the energy that Bishop Briggs had already established was present. She was running around the stage and lighting up the space she had. While she was by herself, viewers could sense that she felt connected to what she was singing and treated her movements like she was performing for a full crowd of people on a big stage, rather than a built stage for a few cameras. It was a powerful performance, with bright yellow visuals, and her vocals were incredible.
Following “WILD” was the song “LONELY” also off of CHAMPION. There was a shift in tone and mood as the yellow visuals faded into dark black and red shapes and patterns as Bishop sang. Her energy level never once dipped, and she was giving her all with every song she sang. At this point in the show a fan commented “wow, unstoppable…” in the chat. Not only was she very connected to what she was singing and doing, she was also putting her entire soul into it.
A few songs later, Bishop Briggs introduced her next song by simply shrugging and saying “if you know it, sing it.” A familiar melody started playing, she began to sing a cover of the 2015 Twenty One Pilots hit, “Stressed Out” (Blurryface). Just as the fans were getting into it, there was a quick shift to the 2005 timely classic “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” by Panic! At The Disco (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out). As if that weren’t enough for the fans, she kept the very cool and clever mashup going by tossing in the 2006 My Chemical Romance favorite, “Welcome To The Black Parade” (The Black Parade). This mashup was executed so effortlessly and from the looks of the chat, fans were absolutely digging this choice. This was all around a very cool treat for people.
Slowing things down a bit, and definitely keeping that energy high, Bishop Briggs sat down on her stage and began to sing “SOMEONE ELSE” from CHAMPION. This was a beautiful contrast to the other songs she had sang before, but the power in her voice filled the room. A fan had commented “heartbreakingly beautiful, the power this has,” which accurately captures the moment. Not only was it so strong vocally, the lyrics were relatable, and it was one of those moments that felt like everyone could relate to some part of the song. Her stage presence was unmatched; she was rocking this performance.
For the rest of her set, she picked her tempo back up and sang a few songs that were definitely exuberant and fun. One of them was the 2018 tune “River,” from the album Church of Scars. Just before wrapping up, she announced to the crowd, “I hope you’re out of breath from singing along! Of course I understand if you’re not… Thank you so much I’m going to sing my new single… This is ‘Higher’!” She would say that, but then her vocals did not sound out of breath at all!
Her all new 2020 single “HIGHER” was a great way to close the show and fans could not have been more excited to hear her perform it live. She closed out the show by thanking everyone while keeping the energy just as high for this last jam. When the song was over, she simply bowed and just said “thank you!” and the stream clicked off. Checking out the last bit of the chat, people were creatively ‘chanting’ for an encore. Some spelled it out in caps, some in lowercase, some doing it letter by letter all in separate messages. It was so awesome and brought that feeling back of being at a show—as much as it could for now.
When the show was winding down, a standout comment from the evening in the chat was “Bishop, YOU are the champion,” and after an extremely entertaining and fun performance, that did appear to be the true. Fans in the chat were commenting wildly how they were agreeing with the statement. When live concerts can resume again, Bishop Briggs will most definitely be ready for the stage!
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