Review: Grace Kelly at Gullivers, Manchester (Maya Lane Tour)

Grace Kelly, backstage at Gullivers, Manchester, 18th September 2026 *(Image: Paul Wolfgang Webster**)*

Maya Lane, *Start of Something* UK Tour flyer

With Maya Lane, the UK based country singer, hitting the road for four dates on her Start Of Something tour, Grace Kelly was specially invited along with Ruby Lily, to forge a powerhouse of up-and-coming UK based country talent, as a busy Gulliver’s hosted a stop off in Manchester.

Gullivers,travels

Gullivers is situated in the Northern Quarter of Manchester City centre on Oldham Street, and with its compact upstairs room is a great venue hosting both established and up and coming artists. offering a great atmosphere and setting.

Before

Grace Kelly has been involved in music from an early age. Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, she first gained traction in the NZ scene when she was 17–releasing songs such as the Before EP around the time of the start of the pandemic lockdown.

She had spent much of her youth co-existing between NZ and the US, her dad working in the latter, from when Grace was 8.

Significantly, she got to spend time in Nashville around 2016. Walking down Broadway, soaking in the vibe of the players and genre, struck a massive chord with the then impressionable Grace, shaping and moulding her musical direction and ‘Southern’ voice.

Grace Kelly, Gullivers, Manchester, 18th September 2026 *(Image: Paul Wolfgang Webster**)*

It was to lead to her recording in Nashville. On the back of 2019’s viral single “San Jose”, she recorded debut EP Before with top session players in Nashville, (Bill Watson: Bass and session producer, Shawn Conley: Engineer, William Ellis: Drums, Tom Wild, Guitar) and Grace’s career was on an upward trajectory, albeit clashing with the COVID pandemic and the live music hiatus.

Grace Kelly, Gullivers, Manchester, 18th September 2026 *(Image: Damien Wilkinson)*

2022, saw Grace take the bold decision to re-locate to the UK, setting up a base in Manchester, where she is rapidly building herself a fanbase, buoyed by EPs such as Table For One, an impressive five track offering released in 2023.

Influenced by Fleetwood Mac, John Prine, Norah Jones and Shania Twain amongst others, her soulful songs mix raw alt-pop and indie-folk in a heady, shaken-not-stirred, Americana cocktail.

Recent gigs have included support slots with Rob Jones & The Restless Dream and Pacifica, co-headlining London and Manchester gigs with Marianne Leigh, and regular gigs around Manchester.

Releasing single “Bad Idea” on July 2026, the song’s premise of moving away and starting afresh clearly parallels her career, and with a couple of new EPs on the horizon, the Manchester date was perfectly timed to showcase her undoubted talent.

Storytelling and Surprises

With opening number “Life We’d Hate”, Grace Kelly laid out her modus operandi from the outset—personal and insightful storytelling, coloured by her deft acoustic guitar playing and heavenly, emotive vocal delivery, that makes you sit up and take notice.

With an audience now snared, recent single “Bad Idea” followed, its punchy rhythm aligned to her smoky, snaking vocal as she sang of homesickness, heartbreak and reflecting on a past relationship.

Incredibly the song was punctuated with a surprise appearance from Grace’s best friend Zoe, travelling over from New Zealand, the pair were poignantly reunited at the front of the stage to rapturous applause from the crowd!

Grace Kelly spots surprise visitor, best friend Zoe, Gullivers, Manchester, 18th September 2026 *(Image: Damien Wilkinson)*

Grace Kelly hugs best friend Zoe, Gullivers, Manchester, 18th September 2026 *(Image: Damien Wilkinson)*

With things now edged up a notch or two, “Feels Like” continued the set’s upward trajectory, with the strong song another future EP candidate.

Earlier on in the evening I’d randomly bumped into Grace in the nearby Sainsbury’s, stocking up on pre-gig essentials missing from the rider, so the song “Supermarket Aisle”, lifted from EP took on unexpected significance. Despite this, the songs darker content (“the rose tint has turned golden hour”) hit home in the intimate setting and dark spaces that Gullivers inhabits.

“Carry On”, again from 2024, mines a similar personal vein with its tale of trying to turn a kiss goodbye into wanting to be carried home.

Continuing to delve into personal and anecdotal storytelling, saw Grace perform “Outta My Head”, again destined for future release (both EPs hopefully landing late 2026/early 2027).

Finishing on a high with a heartfelt tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton, Grace lovingly motored through “9 to 5” with a version the iconic powerhouse would have surely nodded her approval to.

A fitting end to a powerful and engaging set.

Carry On

Grace Kelly’s set on a wet evening in Manchester, was a refreshing dip into a more sun-soaked world—be it New Zealand or the USA, she’s certainly moved her cinematic pictures of life across the globe.

With a voice to die for, she’s managing to harnesss the exposure to the Nashville circuit she gained at an early age into something that is classically forged in Country, Americana and Laurel Canyon whilst still retaining a modern and approachable pop coating.

I’m really looking forward to Grace’s forthcoming EPs to see where her undoubted talent can take her, and will also keep a close eye on gig appearances as she continues to carry on and create a buzz in both Manchester and beyond.

Seat: Standing, front, either side of stage and rear of hall

Setlist:

Life We’d Hate

Bad Idea

Feels Like

Supermarket Aisle

Carry On

Outta My Head

9 to 5

** Special Thanks:

I was extremely privileged to attend the gig with legendary photographer, Paul Wolfgang Webster, who was helping me learn the intricacies of gig photography. Many thanks to Paul for his help, support and incredible insights, both on the night and subsequently.

A typically candid shot from Paul, below:

MOVING PICTURES: Grace Kelly, Gullivers, Manchester, 18th September 2026

Gullivers,travels

Before

Storytelling and Surprises

Carry On

THE START OF SOMETHING: Maya Lane, Gullivers, Manchester, 18th September 2026

FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: The Waterboys & Steve Earle, O2 Arena, London, 12th September, 2026