BEN HOWARD 10 YEAR-ANNIVERSARY TOUR: A KALEIDOSCOPE OF INTROSPECTION AND NOSTALGIA

LIVE REVIEW | Ben Howard supported by Billie Marten | LONDON Eventim Apollo | 23/10/2024

Ten years since the release of ‘I Forget Where We Were’, Ben Howard took to the Eventim Apollo stage to an audience brimming with eagerness. He performed beautiful, winding expansions on the original tracks with an eight-piece band to fuse nostalgia of the sophomore album with his more recent, electronic style in a kaleidoscopic whirlwind.

Joined by singer-songwriter Billie Marten, her opening set was glowing, almost haunting. I sometimes struggled to hear her, with the crowd’s talking sometimes overshadowing her performance for me. It would’ve been great to see her solo in a quieter space to fully highlight her crystalline vocals, but I loved the solo renditions of the newly released ‘Crown’ and hit ‘I Can’t Get My Head Around You’.

Ben Howard’s band entered the stage to intricately woven ambient sounds and stunning visuals, coming together to create a rich, dramatic introduction. The opening song, ‘End of the Affair’ literally exploded into the space, with gorgeous, dynamic set design and soaring synths. Throughout, the synchronicity of the band in both the swells and the quiet moments were really special to see. He combined a folky timbres with his signature crunchy guitar in incredibly detailed sound mixes. I could let the introspective, ambient instrumental breakdowns wash over me sat at the Apollo’s balcony, looking around I felt the nostalgia and calm reciprocated in the audience. Though a big venue, it felt like an intimate show; it was an insight into Ben Howard’s creative process to see home videos and alternative set-lists each night on tour. It was special to see such a formative album played in full, along with ‘Days of Lantana’ and ‘Is it?’. To partner the nostalgic, intricate sounds with beautifully engaging visual art really made for a memorable night.