Live Review: Snow Patrol – 15th February 2025 – O2 Arena, London, UK

Despite their return to the recording studio to piece together a new album averaging around 6-7 years, if the last few albums are anything to go by, the demand to see Scottish/Northern Irish rock outfit, Snow Patrol live has never been something that has withered during the bands 30 years together. The outfits latest record was last years The Forest Is The Path aned saw a shake up of band members with long time bassist Paul Wilson and drummer Jonny Quinn calling an end to their time in the band and the introduction of new touring members taking their place on stage for latest streak across the UK and abroad to promote the latest collection.

As a band that was widely thorough thought as the closest to competition to Coldplay back in the day, front man Gary Lightbody and co have led a much more low-key journey, but thanks to single Chasing Cars which was released back in 2006 and in recent years, has been awarded for being the most played song on UK radio this century, Snow Patrol remained a culturally relevant act. And that was very evident last night as we made our way into a packed O2 Arena to see the band perform for London fans for the first date of their UK and Ireland trek.

As a nod to the new album, The Forest Is The Path, the set carried a heavy forest and autumnal theme; pixelated trees lighting up the 50 foot tall screens with a flood of reds, oranges and yellows for stadium worthy performances of The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?) and career notable, Run which had the sold out O2 also lit up by a sea of phones held in the air and recording the band’s performance of the gorgeous power ballad.

Called Out in the Dark saw Lightbody encourage the males in the crowd to sing along despite the number featuring a lot of falsetto; orchestrating the lads in hitting some lower, more attainable notes while he paid tribute to his piano playing band mate, Johnny McDaid on Talking About Hope as he played the set injured, having damaged his hand recently while in Zurich, yet has still continued to play every show since.

Fellow musician Martha Wainwright made a guest appearance on the overhead screens for a duet on Set the Fire to the Third Bar before new album lead single, The Beginning sat as the most confident and stadium worthy newbie of the night. Early showpiece, Chocolate and mid-set notable Open Your Eyes also had the crowd worked up warmly to the band’s unoffensive and beautifully delivered brand of pop-rock.

It was of course – and was always going to be – Chasing Cars that would get the most exuberant reaction from the bands devoted fanbase. As soon as the minimalist piano key melody began, phones were back in the air as one of the most successful singles of the past twenty years swept over the venue and built up to its powerful closing; every fan in the crowd eager to back the band with their vocal support as lasers shot above them in all directions and explosions of colour lit up the venue.

I haven’t been the most avid Snow Patrol follower over the years – even after eagerly meeting Lightbody backstage at T in the Park back in the band’s peak years when I, along with almost everyone else in the UK and aboard, had Run and Chasing Cars on repeat. Admittedly, I went into last night’s show knowing only a handful of hits but the night reminded me of the songwriting genius of Gary Lightbody and definitely made me a much bigger fan of the band’s wider repertoire having heard new and old songs in all their autumnal splendour.

Setlist:
Take Back the City
Chocolate
Called Out in the Dark
All
Crack the Shutters
Set the Fire to the Third Bar
Run
The Beginning
The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?)
Talking About Hope
Open Your Eyes
Make This Go On Forever
Shut Your Eyes
Heal Me
Chasing Cars
You’re All I Have

Encore:
But I’ll Keep Trying
Just Say Yes