Cigarettes After Sex at the O2 Arena

As you see O2 adverts congratulating the Texan band for selling out not one but two shows at the 20,000-capacity venue, swarms of fans gather, hungry to get their hands on some Cigarettes After Sex merch.

With no support act for their London performances, the band appear on stage promptly. Gonzalez and co are dressed in their usual black attire, matching the minimalist stage set up, with half a drum kit, lead guitar and bass making up the form. Taking us into the dreamy pop is X’s, taken from their eponymously titled third studio album. The acoustics are crisp (not always the case with mega venues), and Gonzalez’s soft-hewn vocals sound refreshing. The band are silhouetted, again keeping with the theme; most of tonight’s attendees are also dressed in black. When Dark Vacay is introduced, there is an uproar of mirthful cheer from the youthful audience, while Pistol also continues with the longing and melancholia threading through all of the group’s material. One of their biggest hits and the first highlight, Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby, is a beautifully wrought live version, with its sultry tongue-in-cheek lyrics and gorgeous melody.

Following the highlight spell, Touch is quintessential Cigarettes After Sex, with the softly thrumming drum beat and gentle guitar riffs, backed by Gonzalez’s hazy voice, but at times this combination becomes monotonous. Gorgeous as the songs may be, the same two-beat drumming, with hardly any differentiation, merges them together, creating a sense of ennui in the listener; with a shift in rhythm and tempo, there is more depth, the show becoming increasingly memorable and interesting. Tonight’s videography throughout the evening is serene and dreamy, shot in monochrome, with drifting clouds, across large suns, moons and a stunning lightning storm.

Cigarettes After Sex come across as a quiet, humble band, Gonzalez intermittently thanking the audience and declaring the trio’s love for London. There isn’t any official encore, and while the singer hands out the setlist and guitar picks to the lucky few at the front, people begin to leave the O2, which feels a little abrupt and odd. Apart from handing out memoribilia, there was not much interaction with the crowd, and the concert feels as if you are listening to their songs in your bedroom, which may have been the point. However, this is a live show after all, and ideally should be a unique experience, but in this case, it was one that felt underwhelming, despite the band’s cult status, which won’t be dissipating any time soon.

Selina Begum
Photos: Nick Bennett

For further information and future events visit Cigarettes After Sex’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Tejano Blue here: