Aurora at the Royal Albert Hall

Aurora Aksnes, known formally by only her first name, is a Norwegian talent hardly comparable to any of her musical peers. She represents a one-of-a-kind, iconic corner of the 2010s music scene; her glittery vocals and entrancing production style were hard to miss at the time, and she has rightfully carried her legacy through to the current day. Her work not only continues to cross genre bounds but also touches the hearts of fans from all over the world. Throughout the past eight years, Aurora has left her mark as an entertainer, whether it be on iconic soundtracks for cinema or with her own impressive discography; to celebrate her fifth studio album What Happened to the Heart?, Aurora is embarking on a year-long tour across the globe. On 2^nd October, she graced the stage of the famed Royal Albert Hall.

While dusk crept over South Kensington, excited concertgoers found themselves escaping the chill breeze of the long queues and entering the elegance of Royal Albert Hall. Anticipation could be felt from miles away, and when eerie, dramatic instrumentals stormed the venue at 8 o’clock sharp, the screams of fans could not be missed. Aurora’s performance art was only just beginning, as the visuals behind her during Goddess of Dusk portrayed her coming to life. Her voice bounced off the walls, making it so listeners could hear every hit of a snare and every breath she took. 

Aurora was authentically herself as she pranced around the stage barefoot, feeling her own music and words just as much as the die-hard, dedicated audience. Churchyard, Soulless Creatures and Heathens are extremely impressive to sing live, but especially so considering she rarely got a chance to breathe. When she was not singing her heart out or dancing like her life depended on it, she was interacting with the crowd, telling jokes and explaining the depth and complexity of her lyrics and inspirations, all only in two hours.

Royal Albert Hall is well known for being a sophisticated venue; typically, chatting is minimal and everyone in the crowd remains seated. Aurora’s fanbase, however, simply took these unspoken rules as a mere suggestion. Throughout the entire performance, audience members were trying their hardest to stay put, but during her most popular song, Runaway, hardly anyone was still in their seats. Security and ushers attempted to calm things down, but the passion Aurora expressed through each track that came before it could not be dulled. The rest of the show was no different; fans were even sat on shoulders just to get a better feel of the mystifying, raw energy Aurora exudes. Regardless if it was opera-esque like A Soul With No King, intense like Murder Song, or extraordinarily devastating like the final moment of the show, Invisible Wounds, the Royal Albert Hall saw a crowd like no other. 

Completely disregarding the fact that Aurora’s vocals were stellar and her band never missed a beat, the most awe-inspiring aspect of this gig was her ability to get a crowd out of their seats, even when that behaviour is deemed inappropriate for the venue; she never encouraged them to do so, she simply just performed as herself and the audience followed. Overall, an Aurora show would be unfortunate to miss, and her next stops in Manchester and Edinburgh will surely be no different.

Taryn Crowley
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Aurora’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Starvation here: