Short but sweet would be the perfect way to describe London two piece Oh Wonder‘s set at Brighton’s Concorde 2 on Saturday night. Having declined the presence of a support act in order to allocate as much time as possible to meet fans at the end of the evening, the couple took to the stage just after 8pm, and launched straight into ‘Better Now’, the first single from their third studio album, No One Else Can Wear Your Crown. Despite having released the record the day before, members of the audience already knew the words to every track by heart, indicating just how dedicated Oh Wonder‘s fan base are.
Soft piano and harmonious vocals signalled the start of fan favourite ‘Drive’, the crowd cheering in unison before joining Josephine and Anthony in singing the infectiously repetitive chorus. “This next one’s about not having any of your shit together” states Josephine as she introduces ‘How It Goes’ – “it’s ok not to be ok”. The poignant lyrics “on Mondays I wake up invisible // on Tuesdays I don’t feel quite right // in the middle of the week it seems impossible” appear to strike a nerve with the audience, and briefly subdue the electric atmosphere.
The pair also played a number of tracks in dedication to those who had been “here since the beginning”. Despite the tour’s purpose to promote the new record, the band made it abundantly clear that the show was primarily for the fans, and refused to neglect those who had supported them from their formation back in 2014 and way before. Returning to the stage for an encore, the band performed the eagerly awaited ‘All We Do’, followed by the touching ‘Technicolour Beat’ and upbeat single ‘Lose It’ – all three tracks taken from their 2015 debut album. From their choice of set timings to their selection of songs and interaction with the audience, Oh Wonder‘s message could not be clearer; nothing is as important to the band as their fans, and nothing ever will be.
Oh Wonder head on a full headline UK tour next month, including dates in London and Glasgow. Tickets for the tour are available to purchase now.
‘Wear Your Crown’ UK tour dates:
03/03 – SWG3 (Galvanisers), Glasgow
04/03 – Albert Hall, Manchester
06/03 – Academy, Bristol
07/03 – O2 Institute, Birmingham
09/03 – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London
