Live Review: RY X - Royal Albert Hall, London 14/10/2019
There are some things that are almost impossible to put into words. RY X performing to a sold out Royal Albert Hall on a dark and drizzly Monday evening is one of those things. After taking to the stage of the iconic London venue with producer Frank Wiedemann for a performance of ‘Howling’ in 2018, Australian born Ry Cummings retrained to play his biggest UK headline show so far alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra.
It was hard to imagine anyone being able to fill this huge hall with sound, as as support act Josin walked onto stage completely alone, I had my doubts. They lasted all of about 30 seconds. Her flawless combination of rhythmic instrumentals and ethereal vocals fill the Royal Albert Hall with an immediate sense of wonder and calm, as the crowd continues to drip in and the room starts to fill. Addressing the crowd after her first song, she seemed surprisingly nervous, expressing her absolute shock and gratitude at being asked to open such a monumental show. This nervousness is not something that seeps into her set - she sings, dances and plays with such maturity and confidence that she looks completely at home in the middle of such a huge, grand stage.
When the moment finally arrives and the London Contemporary Orchestra start to file onto the stage, the room gets noticeably quiet. The air is thick with anticipation as the strings start to build and the chatter dies down. With a long flowing white coat over an understated equally white outfit and a hat perched on his head, Ry strides onto the stage in slow, considered movements and launches into ‘Sweat’. Now, the magic really begins. There’s no denying the intensity of RY X’s music, but paired with an orchestra and played out in a venue as incredible as this, it reaches another level entirely.
Kneeling on the stage with his eyes closed and his face turned up to the sky, Ry takes a moment to soak it all in after opening with a long and beautifully drawn out performance of ‘Sweat’. These little moments of reflection become a theme throughout the show, and they simply never seem out of place. Nothing about this evening is rushed, as Ry moves with slow, gentle consideration around the stage and takes as long as he wants to finish a song or stare into the huge crowd assembled to revel in his music.
Playing his first three songs without any lighting tricks or fancy projections, Ry draws the crowd in with nothing but his music, and makes the night start to feel more like an intimate fireside confessional than the huge production is really is. ‘YaYaYa’ is where this changes, as the screens wrapped around the stage come to life for what is arguably the most upbeat track of the night. There’s a collective exhale as everyone stops holding their breath and sings along to that first beautiful chorus, as the enchanting visuals from the songs music video come to life behind him. There’s a hypnotic quality to the gentle flowing of the fabric on the screen, and this feeling doesn’t budge for the rest of the night. There’s no denying that RY X does not make happy, generic feel-good music, but I don’t think one person left The Royal Albert Hall feeling sad this evening. Instead, the resounding feeling in the room is one of calm, wonder, and admiration.
The highlight of the evening is without a doubt, ‘The Water’. A stark contrast to the peaceful flow of the rest of the evening, this is where Ry lets go of everything, goes all out and almost veers into the realms of creating a techno track. Backed by the most perfectly fitting visuals of flowing oceans, the track is drawn out and that unexpected little electronic twist just build and builds, until it ends with a standing ovation from an adoring crowd. In no rush to carry on, Ry simply stands on the stage and looks out onto the crowd as they clap, cheer and whistle, soaking in every single second of adoration with complete humility. His most humble moment yet comes when, as he plays his encore of ‘Only’, lights start to appear in the crowd. “Wow. I’ll just carry on playing if you do that” he chuckles, as he gazes out into the swaying lights in genuine surprise.
Thanking the crowd for ‘holding space’ with him, Ry reminds us that this evening is more than just a room full of fans listening to a collection of songs. There is something truly spiritual about this show. The way the orchestra comes together with the occasional perfect bit of visual artistry and the unbelievable talent of Ry himself, is something not short of magic, and it feels like an honour to have been in that room. There’s no doubt that wherever Ry plays, he puts on an unforgettable gig, but the extraordinary magic created in this room tonight is something that will stick with me forever, and it is a true testament to just how incredible live music can be when it’s done right.
Words and Photography by Megan Smith