Live Reivew: Hozier - Ovo Wembley, London 15/12/2023
With 2023 beginning to eke out its last, shuddering breaths, and the line between the real and fantastical beginning to blur for the holidays, what could be more on brand for Hozier than for the mystical and magnetic Irish bard to take over Wembley for a wondrous night of celebration in support of recent album — and album of the year contender — ‘Unreal Unearth’?
It’s insane to think that ‘Take Me To Church’ came out ten years ago. As breakthrough songs go, the reach of the song is pretty much unparalleled — but for some people, the soulful, powerful and politically poignant track is all they know; while it’s undoubtedly a great song, Hozier is so much more. All three albums (and a handful of EPs) are meticulously written masterpieces that only get deeper the more keenly you zoom in, rewarding closer listens with literary, religious and mythological references from across the spectrum of cultures; though, of course, the homeland of Ireland takes focus. Getting to see it all brought to bear at his sold out OVO Wembley show was something special indeed.
But first, the thousands cramming themselves into the room were greeted by this tour’s support, relative newcomers but fast-rising stars The Last Dinner Party. And, although the six on stage — the usual five-piece joined by a touring drummer — may have seemed dwarfed by the monumental Wembley stage, there was nothing small about their sound. With just the right blend of ethereal whimsy and piercing, preternatural rock to win the Hozier crowd over, the band dominated the room; their stage presence alone felt staggering, never mind the actual music. And, with a blend of genres — from ‘Ghuja’, written in pianist and vocalist Aurora Nishevci’s mother tongue of Albanian, to the riveting ‘My Lady Of Mercy’, lead vocalist Abigail Morris falling to her knees as if captured by some sardonic sort of rapture — each song felt stunningly unique. No wonder they won the Brit Awards’ Rising Star award for 2024; even as the music shifted and swayed, they were nothing short of mesmerising. The perfect support for ‘forest daddy’ Hozier, and a wonderful introduction for the London crowd to a band making such huge waves, even with only four songs out — debut album ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ out in February next year.
Hozier’s show was always going to be special. His vocals alone make it stand head and shoulders above most other gigs — literally, Andrew John Hozier-Byrne is 6’5 — but having the opportunity for such a huge stage, such a huge ensemble of performers, and such a huge opportunity for production, though, let the night be everything the crowd wanted and more. From the very first, opening guitar strums of haunting album openers ‘De Selby’, the night felt monumental. ‘(Part 1)’ opened with Hozier alone, adrift in the cosmos, the night sky shining behind him, the stage bereft of light bar the spotlight fracturing into starlight around him. Watching it felt oddly like you were intruding on some fae ritual, particularly with the Gaelic outro. But then ‘(Part 2)’ exploded into a time lapse of the constellations, akin to the eye of a storm, as the nine arrayed on stage exploded into motion: and the set had begun. “Are you feeling good London?”, Hozier asked, to a chorus of cheers; “well, we’ll soon change that.”
With the only significant stage adornment the giant roots descending from the ceiling like arboreal stalactites — Yggdrasil, perhaps? — the brunt of the work fell to the performers but, to a one, they rose to the challenge. Whether it was the entrancing, hypnotic blues of ‘To Be Alone’; the eclectic yet Electric ‘Dinner & Diatribes’, which swung from masterfully held choruses to the controlled chaos of the bands; or the beautiful ‘Cherry Wine’, whose acoustic performance seemed to serve as a reminder of Hozier’s own roots as just a singer-songwriter — undermined slightly by the thousands of phones floating on the sea of enraptured heads watching — each song felt like its own little odyssey.
The most impressive thing about Hozier’s back catalogue, however, is how effortlessly the sublime becomes the oppressive, and vice versa. ‘To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)’, for instance, feels heart-wrenching when it’s really a peaceful love song; ‘Abstract (Psychopomp)’ feels poignant but hopeful, when it’s really about roadkill; ‘Eat Your Young’ charming and fun until you notice the cannibalism. It’s this dichotomy which makes Hozier’s music so rich and enjoyable — everything feels layered, and nowhere more so than when serenading 12,000 people.
Despite all of this, though, it was still the breakthrough single that truly wowed the crowd. With virtual flames licking at the heels of the performers, as if the Catholic Hell itself was rising up at the perceived sins of the track, ‘Take Me To Church’ was still the one to beat. From an attic of a parents’ house, to going around the world, and finally to a sold-out Wembley arena, the screaming along of the crowd just felt right.
With an encore made up of ‘Unknown/Nth’, ‘Work Song’, and the frankly phenomenal Epic that is ‘Nina Cried Power’, complete with a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, a beautifully apt quote taken from Irish republican and revolutionary socialist James Connolly — “no revolutionary movement is complete without its poetical expression” — and the need for civil right movements, Hozier also managed to mark himself as an orator; if not perhaps a natural politician, the heartfelt, impassioned frustration felt a hell of a lot more real than any other speeches from elected officials.
Basically, Hozier did it all, and the crowd rightfully loved him for it. Taking the time to thank each individual member of his team by name, from the sound mixers to the carpenters, was a final touch of class from the Irishman and another showing of just why he is so loved; and, although there were a few usual suspects that were dropped — such as
Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene’, ‘Someone New’, and ‘Nobody’ — everything felt fresh and new, as if seen through new eyes.
Wembley was amazing. Simple as that.
Words by James O’Sullivan
Photography by Stefania Semini
