Mimi Webb is one of UK pop’s leading ladies right now and if her latest singles are anything to go by she will continue to be a staple for many more years to come.
The singer, who is 24, has been steadily growing her fanbase since 2020. Releasing her debut EP ‘Seven Shades of Heartbreak’ in 2021, then setting our homes ablaze with the smash hit ‘House On Fire’ in 2022, later releasing her debut album ‘Amelia’ in 2023, she is building quite an impressive portfolio.
Known for her endless pop roster like ‘Good Without’, ‘Ghost Of You’, ’24/5’, Webb recently visited our glorious city and has big plans on returning soon.
We sat down for a chat with the Canterbury superstar days after her Manchester gig at Co Op Live where she’s supporting the Jonas Brothers on the remainder of their European tour.
Mimi Webb | The Interview
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What is it like touring with the Jonas Brothers?
It’s going so well. I just love this show, because I’ve been able to sink my teeth into it and really go for it. I’m just happy that we’re being able to have the kind of opportunity to expand our own show.
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Manchester was one of the first dates on the tour, how did that set you up for the rest of the shows – How good was the Manchester crowd?
Manchester is just one of the main cities in the UK that just goes so hard for me at shows, I had the best time. It was such a cool, cool show. And I think it’s great to keep growing and growing the show every night and trying to figure out new things I want to do on stage and just kind of building the blocks of my performance.
So having played Manchester quite a few times now, do you have any favorite spots that you like to go to?
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My friend actually lived in Manchester for a bit, and she was always telling me about Blank Street (Coffee) so we popped in there, because I was like, I need to go and see it. We normally just go for a nice dinner and drinks, wherever we can. There was a really nice Italian called Fumo too.
You’ve played lots of Manchester venues, what did you think of playing Co Op Live for the first time?
Well, it’s crazy, because there they were telling me how new it was, and the backstage is gorgeous, you can tell it’s new, and they’ve really got into it. It was really cool to be there and be one of the first, among other artists to play that arena, it was so cool!
Now I know that you have a song called ‘Red Flags’, does Manchester have any red flags?
The traffic. I remember, I went out for a massage and on the way I was like get me there now, this is too long!
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‘Erase You’ is your latest single – Talk me through it?
I’ve been writing a lot of my new music in LA so it’s like a change of environment. And it was really cool to go into the room and just kind of write a song where it’s kind of the last farewell. I remember saying,, I just want to erase this person and have them completely gone. I wanted to write a song about that, but I don’t want it to feel too angry. I wanted to have that sassy fun to it too.
We really achieved that with this song. And it was fun to be in LA. And I feel like when I’m there I I’m the same person, but with a different energy. It’s perfect to tap into the feeling that you’re done with all the BS.
What can we expect from your second album?
I feel like I’m the 2.0 Mimi Webb. With house on fire, I loved the whole process of the writing, the recording, the video and then releasing it. That’s just the whole vibe. I want to write stuff that really locks me back into that feeling that I had when ‘House On Fire’ dropped. So a lot of the new songs are very upbeat pop, sassy, and they’ve also got a lot of darker meanings and emotions running through them.
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I’ve dipped into a little bit of country, writing country songs, it’s coming together really nicely, it’s a little album of everything I wanted all in one place. I’m coming into my popstar era.. I’ve always been the loudest one in the room and I feel like now I’m able to really show me, as a person and an artist.
You’re working with Ryan Tedder (known for Greedy – Tate McRae, Welcome to New York – Taylor Swift), he’s been involved on the past two singles, ‘Mistake’ and ‘Erase You’ – How did that come about?
So I met Ryan in Malta at an MTV show there two years ago. Me, One Republic, and a couple more artists were performing. It was so cool because I could just easily meet him. I went up and just said “Hi”. My mum was like “Go, and you can do it” . I was nervous, but I pulled through. And yeah, I was like, “Right, how are we doing? Can we,get a session in the studio?”. He was like, “Yeah, this is so cool. Like, nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you”. Then four months later, I got the call, we got the session, and I was like, “Oh my god”, I went to LA andthen we started writing.
When you’re in tour mode, what things do you have to bring with you?
My steamer, my hair products, makeup and I really love a robe and then a good tracksuit for sound check.
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After touring with the Jonas Brothers, what can we expect from yourself?
Christmas! Christmas shows. I might drop a new song before the year ends. Then next year, it will all just be about finishing up the album and tying it up, figuring out what we’re going to release next.
And finally, when can we catch you in Manchester again?
Hopefully, very soon! I loved it. Manchester was such a great show, it was a really good night.
Having a chat with one of the main artists who is currently leading the soundscape of the 21st century music scene is very fascinating. It’s great to see that Webb genuinely loves what she does and it’s noticeable through the songs she writes and the ability she has to command any stage. Bring on 2025 and bring on the sophmore project – you can never have too much Mimi Webb!
Government to introduce price cap on ticket touts and launch consultation on dynamic pricing
Danny Jones
The UK government are finally set to install a price cap on re-sale tickets for touts and open an official consultation on the growing trend of dynamic pricing.
If you’ve bought a ticket to a live music show over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed that ticket prices in general are on the up – particularly if purchased from a reseller, in which case you might have paid through the nose for the privilege.
Not only does ticket touting remain a prevailing problem in the industry, with tonnes of tickets for big shows, especially, being snapped up in bulk or by bots and listed for re-sale before you’ve even added them to your basket, but the advent of this new dynamic pricing lark has made things even harder.
You only have to look at the controversy and chaos surrounding Oasis’ reunion tour, which ultimately saw some fans paying significant amounts more for practically the same ticket just a few days later in what many dubbed as ‘fraud’ and even ’emotional blackmail’.
Justin Timberlake at Co-op Live Manchester was one of countless gigs where ticket prices fluctuated. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Tackling resellers head-on
Knowing full well that people will go to extreme lengths to try and see the musicians and artists they love so dearly – in some cases being backed into a corner as the final figure displayed on the screen when they checkout suddenly jumps up – the modern ticketing industry is severely broken.
With all that in mind, the government are now looking to enact more stringent measures on resellers, by announcing a new price cap on tickets put back up for sale which is set to be introduced (hopefully) in the very near future.
Targeting sites infamous for inflating re-sale costs such as Viagogo, StubHub and others, the bill published on Friday, 10 January proposes a price cap of face value plus 10-30% but no more, with an obvious aim to keep that number as low as possible.
According to the current figures, touts reportedly cost music fans alone more than £145 million in extra re-sale fees when purchasing tickets every year – a frankly ridiculous sum. There will always be tickets ending up on re-sale sites, that’s unavoidable, but a price cap could seriously improve the situation.
The Manc music legends themselves claim they had little control over the situation.
Down with dynamic pricing
Labour, who were voted into power back in July, are also set to try and combat dynamic prices, which essentially sees gigs and events set people back more or less depending on how the popular ticket sales have been up to that point, market trends and general demand. An initial review was called for last year.
Put simply, the more people want to attend a gig, platforms like Ticketmaster feel they are able to jack up their margins even after the initial price point has been established. The European Commission has been investigating these methods since September 2024.
Although it is still unclear as to the exact time scale of when these changes will come in, Labour MP Chris Bryant told NME that although they are still in the early stages, it is “now just a matter of how the government takes action.” And that’s where you come in.
The consultation is also crucially public, with the calling for people to submit their evidence on current pricing practices and continue engaging in the discussion throughout the progress. New Year’s Resolution: let’s curb ticket touts as much as we possibly can.
David and Victoria Beckham’s son Cruz is kicking off his own music career
Danny Jones
David Beckham’s son, Cruz, is the latest member of the Beckham family to try and make a name for themselves, as he is now making his first foray into the music business.
Cruz, 19, is the third child of David and Victoria Beckham and while daughter (youngest of the four) Harper is still just a kid, each of the famous couple’s boys has begun making a name for themselves.
First-born Brooklyn has already enjoyed multiple ventures at just 25, trying everything from modelling, photography, being a chef, as well as investing in everything from hot sauce to saké and more. As for Romeo, the former footballer looks to have hung up boots at just 22 to focus on his fashion career.
Now, though, it’s the turn of Cruz who is looking to follow not in the footsteps of his dad but rather ‘Posh Spice’, as he has now started releasing the first glimpses of his new music.
As you can see, Becks junior has been spending plenty of time in the studio and trying to create his own unique sound.
While the fledgling musician will no doubt have greater access to the industry thanks to his mum’s massively successful career in pop, and no doubt a few contacts through his dad here and there, there’s clearly plenty of natural talent there the youngster it clearly putting the work in.
It’s also worth noting that the 19-year-old dabbles in various different instruments: as well as the guitar, he has taught himself to play drums, piano, mandolin and isn’t shy from offering vocals either.
Cruz looks to be working with multi-platinum songwriting and production duo, The Wavys – made up of musicians Jack Brady and Jordan Roman – and although he hasn’t properly released anything of his own just yet, we have now had a snippet of his original track, ‘Ya Love’, which is rumoured to drop very soon.
Rewind to 2016 when he was just 11, the little lad even did his own festive single for charity entitled, ‘Every Day Was Christmas’, which was his first-ever bit of original music.
It’s safe to say that while he’s still a pretty fresh-faced teenager, his general creative direction has come quite some way since then.
From what we’ve heard, it’s all sounding pretty too; you only have to head to the comments to see followers complimenting the funk guitar and overall sound, as well as even drawing comparisons to the likes of Oasis and more. One person conceded: “Nepo baby aside this is actually very good.”
Son of a Man United legend and British popstar or not, there’s enough style to his stuff so far that we’ll be keeping on his music – who knows, maybe the next famous Beckham will be an artist called Cruz?
Thomas Melia -
23rd September 2024 
