Where do I start?
This gig was tough to review. Musically Ben Howard offers so much. So much emotion and storytelling through his exquisite lyrics, crafted compositions and atmospheric stage productions would normally mean that no complaint can be made against such a talent.
However, the gig failed to land with the audience. To sell-out 4 nights at Brixton academy is testament to Mr Howard. He deserves the stage, but I feel the setting of Brixton attracted the wrong crowd. There were too many "first album only" gig-goers that obviously haven't followed Mr Howard's musical journey including a return to front of the stage with this new album of material. Therefore they chatted throughout the light and shade of the journeying set list. In fact, the disrespect shown is probably more a reflection of the want and need of the crowd to satisfy their social media status than enjoy living in the moment.
That said, I was again surprised that Mr Howard didn't really give two f*cks! A brief "Hello" and minimal looks to the crowd further irritated them as he continued to look down on his audience. I did think that he is only up their because of the fans, so he could have played to them a little more. But I never found out, as rather than put up with the couple in front's own rendition of "Only love", I went home, shut myself in a darkened room and stuck his back catalogue on the record player.
Safe to say I will not be seeking out to see Ben Howard again. Well, not until his Spotify crowd educate themselves beyond his 'Popular' songs and he as an artist remembers who put him there in the first place!
2/10
Weezer
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