Live Review: Antony Szmierek - O2 Kentish Town Forum, London 15/10/2026
“You’ll never be alone again”, sings Mancunian’s finest wordsmith Antony Szmierek, and it’s hard to argue with him after a joyous night filled with dancing in a sold-out Kentish Town Forum to his garage beats and spoken-word. Nobody felt alone that night, that’s for sure.
Mancunian artist Antony Szmierek brought his incredible blend of spoken word and electronic dance music to a sold-out Kentish Town Forum on Thursday night for an evening full of joy and sweaty dancing. Having released his second album. Decoding Birdsong, only a couple of months ago, this tour was primarily dedicated to that album, however, Szmierek was sure to include some other fan favourites, as well as bringing out some surprise guests throughout the evening, including support act Ellur, who was exceptional to watch both before and with the main man.
The charismatic Ellur, aka Ella McNamara, opened the evening, commanding the stage with an air of grace and confidence. The indie artist, hailing from Halifax, performed a number of songs from her debut album, At Home In My Mind, which she released this year, along with a couple of older singles. With her undeniable talent and infectious, joyous energy, Ellur warmed up the ever-growing crowd, preparing everyone for the party Antony Szmierek was about to start.
Antony Szmierek, along with his live band, kicked off the show with high-energy track Chalk, the opener of Decoding Birdsong, in a blur of blue and red lights that immediately had the crowd dancing. Szmierek’s energy is instantly infectious, electric, the crowd feeds off it, their own energy filling back up the poet’s cup so that no one is ever left feeling depleted. Even those seated on the balcony are on their feet before the first song has ended: “I’m on the edge yeah cause and effect / could be my big break / rather play my best and lose / than be like you, mate.” Much like on the album itself, Chalk blends seamlessly into The Heron, a shimmering, upbeat track that keeps the momentum in the room building. As Szmierek croons “you’ll never be alone again, my love”, it feels as if he really means it, that he’s speaking to each person in the room individually.
The 80s-influenced synths and bluesy basslines of Yoga Teacher are met with cheers from the crowd; this no longer feels like a gig but a nightclub dancefloor, with the haze and lights and the sway of moving bodies. Szmierek is everyone’s yoga teacher here, encouraging us all to let go, “breathe in / hold / release.” He’s a master at commanding the crowd, all eyes on him as he floats around the stage…years of teaching teenagers coming into play here. Los Bitchos’ Serra Petale joins the Manchester wordsmith for the garage-esque Seminal, which is nothing short of incredible to witness live. It’s impossible not to admire Szmierek’s penmanship, the subtleties hidden throughout: “I’m feeling good, I’m fine thanks, you? / it’s just God removed the ladder / and I’m drowning in the pool.” Anyone who played The Sims as a child, and therefore played God, knows exactly what Szmierek is referring to.
The energy Szmierek has built never seems to drop; he has cocooned the entirety of the Forum in his chaotic, gorgeous, sweltering bubble, and we’re all very happy to be there. He’s a natural hype man, encouraging his audience to dance, isn’t afraid to get stuck in with the crowd…throws himself into the middle of it a number of times and trusts them enough to crowdsurf him back to the stage. Ellur joins him for Bookies Favourite, where she also features on the album, and she’s not the last guest of the evening. Szmierek is joined by Imogen and the Knife for recent single, Flight Simulator. The performance is transcendent, ethereal, with the artist’s rhythmic spoken word working seamlessly with Imogen’s dreamy vocals on the chorus.
An infectious joy and sense of hope quite frankly pours from Antony Szmierek, who is encouraging, caring for those around him. Before he begins The Great Pyramid of Stockport, he offers a word of advice for anyone who had a shit day at work…”this is your sign to quit tomorrow.” While before Decoding Birdsong, he encourages the audience to “tell people you love them…tell strangers around you tonight that you love them.” That is the gorgeous thing about Szmierek, his ability to create a sense of connection in a room full of thousands of strangers. And everyone danced together with him under hazy lights, “one for sorrow / two for love / you can tell me everything.”
Before anyone realised it, the show was coming to an end. The slow, static beats of Aussie Gold Hunters begin, Szmierek standing in a circle of gold light, “I’ve never known so many people / but I’m on my own quite a lot…/ things change today I feel it.” It is a track that has stood out to me personally on the album, but was staggering in its beauty live. When he ends the song, Szmierek reminds the crowd that you might go through tough times, but there’s always a fresh start, there’s always tomorrow…and leads his devoted audience in a New Year’s Eve style countdown to that new beginning. Before his final goodbye, he makes sure to call out the Cornell 7, pleads with, and encourages the many men in his audience to be part of a change, to create safe spaces for women and queer people not only in a gig setting, but in the world outside of the venue. To close out his show, he leads everyone in one big final dance party to Rafters, and it feels spiritual, healing...for the crowd and the poet himself.
There are some gigs that stay with you long after they're over, and Antony Szmierek’s is one of those. An hour and a half went by in the blink of an eye because of the energy, joy and safety that Szmierek brought with him. Everyone seemed lighter at the end of it, a twinkle in their eye, the Forum filled with laughter as the crowd slowly dispersed. He’s created something truly beautiful and healing with his music, and if you ever get the chance to see Antony Szmierek live, then take it immediately.
Words by Angela English
