The show goes on in Manchester for Halifax musician Mo Kenney

Halifax musician Mo Kenney was just a couple of kilometres away when a bomb exploded at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday night, killing 22 and injuring dozens of others.

Kenney is on a tour of parts of the United Kingdom and was scheduled to play in Manchester on Tuesday night.

"When I was going to sleep [Monday] night, I heard tons of sirens and stuff outside and I didn't really think anything of it," Kenney said Tuesday. "And then I woke up in the morning and had all kinds of text messages from friends and family asking if I was OK."

'I felt sick'

When she heard the news the morning after the attack, she could hardly believe it.

"I felt sick. Really sick and angry," she said. "I just can't believe that a person would do something like that. It's horrible.

"A concert is a place where people should feel safe. It's supposed to be an enjoyable thing, and something that's supposed to make people happy. The fact that this happened after a concert really makes me sick."

Kenney went out Tuesday and saw a heavy police presence on the streets of the city, but said residents seemed to be going about their business as usual.

Considered cancelling concert

She thought about whether she should cancel her Tuesday night concert. 

"I was honestly really freaked out [Tuesday] morning," she said. "As time went on, I just kind of felt like I should really play...and that people should come out and go out and do something.

"Maybe a show would be a welcome distraction."

Kenney said her music isn't very political, but she feels that the simple act of playing her show was taking a stand.

"It's really scary that that happened, but I think the worst thing to do would be to just stay in in fear and not do something because you're afraid. Because that's what these extremists want," she said. "I think it's better for people to come together and go about their business."