Live Review: Luke Hemmings - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London 16/05/2024
Despite how many sold-out arena shows he’s performed and world tours he has embarked on, Luke Hemmings’ solo performance in London was an unforgettable evening for reminding you of how moving and powerful music could be.
If you thought seeing Luke Hemmings was going to be a scaled-down replica of a 5 Seconds of Summer show, then you can think again. Fresh off releasing his sophomore EP, ‘boy’, which reflects on his younger years from a matured perspective, Hemmings brings his wistful tracks to London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire for an evening full of deeply introspective yet simultaneously relatable musings.
Irish quartet NewDad sets the tone with their hazy, introspective brand of indie. Rippling guitars seamlessly envelope the crowd, like a musical equivalent of the moody blue lighting that settles across the venue while ‘Drown’ holds the crowd captive with every hushed note. Frontwoman Julie Dawson’s velvety vocals blend into the layers of textural harmony in ‘Angel’, which leaves a haunting chill with its aching lyricism about the difficulty of loving someone else when you’re battling with your own demons. The tension brims through ‘Sickly Sweet’ as the drums occasionally thunder through, barely restrained in its angst, as the bass frantically plugs away in the chorus while Dawson plays on the words ‘you’re sickly sweet, you’re sweetly sick. A shiny thing I want to pick’. As the last notes fade away, it felt like barely any time had passed while you were gently swept along in a fuzzy, mellifluous current of fluid melodies but sure enough, the clock reads 8.30pm and it’s time for the band to retreat from the cheering crowd.
While Hemmings’ tour name, ‘Nostalgia for a time that never existed’, gives some indication of what to expect from the evening, nothing could have quite prepared you for the cinematic, soul-stirring opening of ‘A Beautiful Dream’. As the outlines of his silhouette bursts into illumination right as the rousing electronics peak, it’s a moment that reminds you how awe-inspiring and speechless music can leave you. Captured by nothing but pure wonder, the kaleidoscopic melodies in ‘Motion’ break the dreamlike trance with a shot of serotonin and a burst of confetti so overwhelmingly upbeat that you cannot help but jump along. Yet a closer listen to the lyrics reveal a slightly melancholic undertone, as Hemmings sings ‘all of this running in motion, time slips by until you’re lost in your mind’; this introspective musing distinguishes his solo music from the pop-punk we may have come to expect from Hemmings, highlighting a different facet of his musicianship which made tonight so special to witness and unforgettable. Throughout the concert, you’re given a glimpse into Hemmings’ inner thoughts and shown an intimacy which makes you forget you’re in a sold-out crowd of 2,000.
Raising his hands as if to conduct the crowd in ‘Close My Eyes’, Hemmings displayed a confidence that made him appear like a sage guide on the journey of life’s experiences, as concentrated and distilled into a 17-song set for the purposes of tonight. ‘Saigon’ made us yearn for our own past memories, while ‘Diamonds’ painted an unflinching picture of the desperate attempt to find a foothold when you feel like you’re losing control. Time seemed to have suspended during ‘Place In Me’, which exposed a rawness of thoughts through ethereal electronics and piercing vocals that achingly cried out, ‘I’m so apathetic it’s pathetic, but I need you now’. Every word is laden with so much emotion that you feel like you could weep at any given moment, and as tinkering pianos delicately closes the track, it creates a moment that will be etched in your mind as a memory of the time you experienced beauty beyond expression.
While ‘Place In Me’ tenderly handled your heart, it was bruisingly crushed in ‘Mum’ as a gut-wrenching apology for the missed phone calls home, the mistakes made growing up, and a continuing plea for help and acceptance from the mother figure in your life. Brooding red lights flashed as searing guitars crashed down around you, orchestrating an inner turmoil that was so musically vivid you felt like you were left gasping for air. The live treatment of the track made the cathartic breakdown all the more visceral, but despite how much it pierced in the moment, you ultimately felt like a weight was lifted from your shoulders as Hemmings carried you through the burden and made you feel understood. Any lingering sadness was quickly dispelled as ‘Garden Life’ chimed in with rosy lyrics, capturing how seemingly-mundane moments became wondrous when you were with your loved one. Finale ‘Starting Line’ felt like a euphoric sprint towards the end, in spite of the track title, building up from simplistic piano chords into an explosion of soaring vocals and glittering synths.
No matter how many more arenas Hemmings will sell out with 5 Seconds of Summer, and how many other world tours he will embark on, it will never replicate the personal connection crafted tonight. With one final confetti shower, it’s doubtless that tonight will remain as one of Hemmings’ most remarkable performances.
Words by Athena Kam
