Live Review: Aurora - O2 Academy Brixton, London 06/04/2022
For what felt like a split second, at the O2 Academy Brixton, over 5k beautiful souls experienced a ‘temporary high’ while diving head first into AURORA’s ethereal and empowering musical universe, in what was one of the best vocal pop performances this venue has ever seen.
“Holy macaroni” … were the first words to come out of 25 y/o Norwegian pop star Aurora Aksnes’ mouth after realising she had just flawlessly performed two of her best songs in front of a crowd of over five thousand humans at her biggest UK show to date this Wednesday at world renowned O2 Academy Brixton.
Everything about this evening was perfectly curated to not only indulge the OG fans but to introduce the most recently converted “warriors and weirdos’’ to a world of acceptance and earnest feelings. The night started with the unbelievable support act Metteson, the artist project of Norwegian fellow Sverre Breivik, who walked on stage wearing a huge starfish headpiece by designer Friedrich Floen. Immediately captivating the audience with choreographed yet spontaneous moves that resembled David Bowie’s, they set the tone for an unforgettable opening set. Singing catchy yet clever tunes with impeccable theatrical falsettos, Matteson shocked the audience with seamless transitions and moments of pure emotion that are clear evidence of the star power (pardon the pun) that this project has. Even if you didn’t know a single song, you ended up dancing to the funkier bits and strongly relating to the more thespian ballads.
Following this, there was a short interlude to allow for the stage to be prepared for the arrival of AURORA. In those 10 minutes of pure suspense, you could certainly feel the built-up of the hype and with every second that passed, more and more fans would congregate towards the front of the stage. That’s exactly when I got a text from a friend at the very front saying “there’s seashells on stage” — something that would be confusing under any other circumstances but in this context just made perfect sense!
All of a sudden, in the deemed neon light of the stage centrepiece the shadow of a petite figure whose airy and graceful operatic harmonies had began to resonate in the walls of the iconic venue could be seen, and right there and then, people knew they were in for a treat of a magnitude they were not anticipating.
As AURORA took the stage, fans properly lost it but in the most peculiar way. The energy with which she opened the show immediately electrified the air and every single person was mesmerised looking at her, almost as if she was a beacon of hope and vitality. Blissfully blasting through ‘Heathens’ and ‘Blood in the Wine’, the young artist exquisitely danced her way to the front of the stage to the beat of Magnus’ tribal drums before taking a quick break to say hi to the audience.
Her stage presence and banter with the crowd is unparalleled as she has absolutely no filter and her way of thinking and processing experiences is so pure and full of fearlessness. AURORA’s ability to convey this and empower fans live certainly what makes her one of the best performers of her generation — plus her willingness to please the crowd is just brilliant!
The set list included thoroughly enjoyed and celebrated fan favourites like TikTok-viral ‘Runaway’ and ‘Warrior’ alongside new singles such as ‘Cure for Me’ — for which she obviously couldn’t help but to do the quirky dance from the music video. However, there were several moments where AURORA’s curated show blended so seamlessly with her own personality. From talking about the songwriting process with Magnus ahead of singing ‘Exist for Love’, to waving a pride flag while jumping left and right to ‘Queendom’, to picking up a fan’s phone to take a selfie and forgetting what she was going to say, it became crystal clear to everyone present that her vulnerability is one of her greatest strengths.
At the same time, fans had their own beautiful spotlights which saw AURORA overcome with joy on stage. It must certainly be a wonderful feeling to see five thousand people turn on their flashlights and wave their arms side to side to a song that means the world to you AND them. It must be equally as rewarding to know fans are so deep into your music they are capable of performing with you through doing harmonies, almost turning themselves into musical instruments just for you to shine.
Just before closing one of the most magical nights at the O2 Academy, AURORA took a moment to acknowledge something that, in most cases, we all give for granted. She said, “In the largeness there’s beautiful small moments” referring to her concern for scaling up shows and losing the intimate moments. But the wonderful dynamic she so deeply cherishes was indeed preserved by the connection she’s built with fans throughout the years which reassured her of her path as an artist. She then proceeded to perform ‘Through The Eyes of a Child’ and ‘Giving In To The Love’, which hit everyone right in the feels but will remain forever engraved in people’s memories as the perfect ending to a dreamy night.
Words by Nicole Otero
Photography by Ant Adams
