Monetochka’s first London concert took place at Electric Brixton on May 27. During the performance, the singer sang songs from her new album, recited poems about politics and life in Russia, and chanted “No to war!” Her husband and producer, Vitya Isaev, also performed a song he composed, accompanied by his virtuoso electric guitar playing.
In recent years, Monetochka has not only become a mother but also the face of the modern Russian migrant community, thanks to her TikTok videos, where she criticizes the Russian authorities, mocks new inexplicable laws, and shares her immigration experience. Online, she has created a genuine unofficial community for those who did not support the war and left Russia, uniting young and old, Russians and Ukrainians, emigrants, and those who have not yet managed to leave.
It was no surprise that almost all of emigrant London came to support the singer’s concert. She managed to sell out the venue, and the line for the concert stretched almost the entire street around the concert hall.
At her concert, Monetochka managed to create a nostalgic atmosphere of the world before the war. While waiting for the singer to come on stage, an unusual atmosphere for London prevailed: it felt like everyone around was part of a close-knit community, understanding and loving each other. The serene atmosphere was reflected in the sincere smiles of everyone present. Monetochka, with her ability to unite people with her creativity and charisma, turned out to be exactly the ray of sunshine that rainy London lacked.
Despite the singer’s significant delay, it did not affect the mood in the hall — the attendees patiently waited for Monetochka to appear, rejoicing that she had finally managed to come to their city. She appeared unexpectedly, emerging from behind the curtains singing “I am Liza” and immediately began the concert, referring to the program as the “menu.”
The setlist that evening consisted of Monetochka’s main repertoire: songs like “Papina lyubovnica” (“Daddy’s Mistress”), “Kroshka” (“Baby”), “Padat v gryaz” (“Falling into the Mud”), “Nimfomanka” (“Nymphomaniac”), and “Post-Post” were performed with special support from the audience. It was noticeable that some of the lyrics were unfamiliar to concertgoers, suggesting that not everyone present was a long-time listener of Monetochka. This can also be explained by the 14+ age restriction for the concert, which prevented many young fans, who know her music through TikTok, from attending.
Monetochka performed several songs dedicated to the political situation in Russia. Some of them, such as “Russky kovcheg” (“Russian Ark”), written before the pandemic, remain relevant to this day. The song “Gori gori gori” (“Burn, Burn, Burn”) from 2019 sounds prophetic in the current circumstances.
Monetochka also performed the song “NTV” with lyrics by Svyatoslav Svidrigailov. This song has long been one of her most popular numbers, but listeners won’t find it on Spotify, unlike several other similar songs directly condemning the Russian authorities and people blindly believing Russian propaganda. One of these songs was “Kozyrny tuz” (“Trump Ace”) from Monetochka’s first album. The lyrics “Understand that behind this iron door, it’s the same prison, just a different regime” in 2024 no longer sound like a joke but rather like a description of modern Russian reality.
The concert ended with the song “Poslednyaya diskoteka” (“The Last Disco”), which became a Russian party anthem in 2017. Now, when her first listeners have grown up, this song has become a little portal to the past.
A few days before the London concert, Monetochka released a new album and performed several songs from it during her show. However, the presence of new material gives hope for another tour by the singer in the near future. So, let’s hope that this was not Monetochka’s “last disco” in London.
