Music

Review

What we learned watching Florence + The Machine live

Florence Welch and co. took to London's O2 earlier this week.

Find tickets here

It’s hard to believe that Florence + The Machine’s first album is approaching its tenth birthday. The 2009 BRITs Critics’ Choice Award winners have had an incredible career that includes six Grammy nominations, three platinum albums and an acclaimed, if somewhat last-minute, Glastonbury headline slot.

Following the June release of the band’s latest album, High As Hope, we joined Florence at the O2 in London for a night full of dancing and glitter.

Florence + The Machine - Hunger

Her voice is astounding

Every time she opens her mouth to sing it comes as a bit of a shock. Her speaking voice is quiet and delicate, yet her singing fills the O2 in a way that makes it feel like an intimate venue rather than London’s biggest arena. The rawness of her voice is perfectly suited to the more upbeat songs, and her ethereal upper register is captivating during the slower, more intimate tracks.

It is an emotional evening

Despite having headlined Glastonbury to rave reviews, Florence still seems astounded the band have filled the O2. On a number of separate occasions she has to pause for a second to collect herself, seemingly overcome with the reception she is facing.

They have some real anthems

The excitement that ripples through the crowd when the introductions to Dog Days Are Over and Shake It Out begin shows just how well Florence + The Machine do a ‘big’ song – and how well they’ve stood the test of time (the former is almost 10 years old and the latter was released in 2011).

It’s a self-proclaimed hippy affair

As Florence herself acknowledges, it doesn’t get much more hippy than her asking everybody to put their phones away, hold hands with the person next to them, and tell them you love them. Even her outfit and her dancing are reminiscent of a fairy frolicking through a forest, with twirling and spinning.

The show feels like a joint effort between artist and audience

Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (2010 Version) (Official Music Video)

Florence + The Machine continue their UK headline tour on the following dates:

23 November 2018 – Manchester Arena, Manchester
25 November 2018 – Brighton Centre, Brighton
26 November 2018 – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Any remaining tickets for Florence + The Machine’s UK headline dates are available now through Ticketmaster.co.uk.