Live Review: Keane – 11th May 2024 – O2 Arena, London, UK

Last night, Keane took to the stage at the O2 Arena for the second night of their Hopes & Fears 20 anniversary tour. The stadium was set for another brilliant night of classic songs, as well as other favourites from across their catalogue, the epic staging and ominous backdrop looming over openers The Lathums. Despite this, the band performed wonderfully as seasoned pros in their own right, pulling the audience in ready for the main event.

A fantastic light show and snippets of the eponymous album played before a blinding white light announced the band. The cries of excitement from fans didn’t subside, even as the snare intro from opening tune Can’t Stop Now echoed throughout the hall. “Don’t stop cheering!” singer Tom Chaplin told the crowd. “You’re not allowed!” What followed were back to back hits Silenced By The Night and Bend and Break. Tom wished the album a happy birthday; “a year and a day old.” Between bounding around the stage he also gave time to level with the fans. “Nice to see you all here after so long … we’ve all got a favourite.”

Nothing In My Way and The Way I Feel followed, the latter with a message of hope. “There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.” Tom led a singalong featuring all the drama and confidence of a theatrical performance. The audience gave their all to match the heavenly vocals and didn’t disappoint. “If you can give it more drama, you can be in the band,” Tom said. It’s safe to say that the crowd passed the audition, backing the band in You Are Young.

Song after song passed in an array of impressive lights and impassioned performances from the group, a definitely highlight being Is It Any Wonder, where every line was sung back at the band loudly and proudly. Tom told the tale of how She Has No Time came about, and how it essentially became the first song for Hopes & Fears. Songwriter and keys player Tim Rice-Oxley wished it to relate to those feeling lonely, and it was certainly a unifying moment in the room. The band moved to the middle of the runway for This Is The Last Time and Crystal Ball, and ended on the quote-on-quote last song, as Tom put it, Somewhere Only We Know. They of course returned for a much wanted encore, and kept everyone hooked in their places till the bitter end.

Set List:
Can’t Stop Now
Silenced By The Night
Bend And Break
Your Eyes Open
Nothing In My Way
The Way I Feel
Sunshine
You Are Young
Everybody’s Changing
On A Day Like Today
Perfect Symmetry
A Bad Dream
Untitled 1
Spiralling
Is It Any Wonder?
She Has No Time
This Is The Last Time
Crystal Ball
Somewhere Only We Know

Encore:
We Might As Well Be Strangers
Sovereign Light Cafe
Bedshaped

Ryan Bulbeck

Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.