Keane

Tonight’s packed gig at the ever impressive 02 arena coincided with the 20th anniversary (to the exact day) of the release of Keane’s hugely successful debut album, Hopes and Fears, in 2004.

The rousing ‘Can’t Stop Now’ opened the set and was suitably accompanied by an unstoppable energy from front man Tom Chaplin. That set the tone as the crowd pleasers came thick and fast with ‘Bend & Break’ and ‘Everybody’s Changing’ which brought the crowd to their feet.

Tom took time between songs to reminisce about the many poignant memories from the time they wrote the album, only to then bound effortlessly across the stage with all the sprightliness of a 25 year old.

The gentle ‘Sunshine’ was dedicated to a fan who travelled from Greece and the band continued to work their way through all the hits from this fabulous debut album including the melancholic ‘On A Day Like Today’ and the soaring ‘She Has No Time’, which saw the whole arena light up with thousands of twinkling mobile lights.

The highlight, inevitably, was the superb and uplifting ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ which created an indescribable atmosphere with everyone singing along and absorbing every moment. The encore included ‘We Might As Well Be Strangers’, and the atmospheric ‘Bedshaped’ brought the evening to a fitting close.

Overall, little has changed about this 4 piece from Battle, East Sussex, except perhaps a greater confidence and maturity. A fine example of less instruments ultimately meaning more!

Clearly, 20 years on, they were afforded the well earned opportunity tonight to relish and bask in their success, something they perhaps were not able to do all those years ago when they were almost catapulted overnight into fame without having time to catch their breaths.

All to love tonight… a beautiful, nostalgic celebration of a fantastic album!

Setlist
Can't Stop Now
Silenced by the Night
Bend and Break
Your Eyes Open
Nothing in My Way
The Way I Feel
Sunshine
You Are Young
Everybody's Changing
On a Day Like Today
Perfect Symmetry
A Bad Dream
Untitled 1
Spiralling
Is It Any Wonder?
She Has No Time

B stage
This Is the Last Time
Crystal Ball
Somewhere Only We Know

Encore:
We Might as Well Be Strangers
Sovereign Light Café
Bedshaped