Ben Howard at Hammersmith Apollo

The stage of the Apollo is busy before anyone even walks on. Different collections of musical instruments take up every inch of space, building excitement for the performance ahead of us. It’s been ten years since Ben Howard’s I Forget Where We Were and tonight we are here to celebrate.

The horns are the first sounds we hear – a trumpet and a trombone – and they create a haunting intro. Everyone is immediately quiet. Paying attention to every note is the important thing now, and the crowd is rapt. The melody that echoes around the room is cinematic in its rise, setting the scene for the group that walks onstage. Howard is joined by eight other musicians, each taking their place by their instruments of choice. End of the Affair explodes into an exploration of music; lights flash in technicolour behind them, a heavy beat, tinkling synths, soaring vocals. All of it comes together and it feels like you’re in space.

They flow into She Treats Me Well and the euphoria continues in an orange hue and an impressive double bass breakdown. The build in Time is Dancing is incredibly tight, and it highlights how well this group of musicians work together. They are a well-oiled team, never over-shadowing and always complementing each other. With them, and Howard at their core, it feels like music really is a craft. He doesn’t just play song after song, he lets the music become a feeling. It’s never rushed, with most songs having extended outros, and instead fostering an experience that is totally separate from listening to the record on your phone. The Burren, with its folky timbre and flecks of fire, is a highlight – as is Evergreen, where Howard is joined onstage by opener Billie Marten.

Visually, it is exceptional. The screen behind lights up with captivating colour, winding and blurring into kaleidoscopes and static, adding to the rhapsodic energy.

Howard has named the tour the Retrospective Tour, and this couldn’t be more apt. This show is a time to sit back and let the music wash over you, to close your eyes and breathe it in. A different type of concert, this is true, but one that is satisfying for the soul, one that uses and gives a different type of energy. The audience don’t jump or mosh, but it’s obvious in their faces, in the calm slope of relaxed shoulders, that music performed in this way is doing what it needs to do for them. It’s inimitable, and it’s unlike any other gig you will go to.

Talitha Stowell
Photos: Virginie Viche

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

Watch the video for the single How Are You Feeling? here: