The Irish Indie-rock band lit up Nottingham’s Theatre Royal on Tuesday night for an intimate performance which delivered waves of nostalgia and pure affection.
With over 6,000,000 monthly Spotify listeners and 7 UK Top 10 albums, thereās no doubt that the band could’ve sold out larger venues like the Motorpoint Arena, but instead, they opted for the more intimate Theatre Royale. Performing reworked versions of some of their biggest hits to celebrate their 25 year anniversary, it was truly a night to remember.
āDark Roman Wineā opened the set with frontman Gary Lightbody simply standing on the dimly lit stage and singing, whilst brass and string musicians supported him. The rest of the band then joined him on stage as the audience applauded his solo effort.
Lightbody welcomed the adoring crowd as if we were all lifelong friends whom he hadnāt seen in years. He even cracked jokes with a few audience members in the front row. His friendly, laidback introduction set the tone for the rest of the night.
The first half of the show brought the slightly more mellow of Snow Patrolās hits such as āYouāre All I Haveā. There were a few teary eyes in the stalls as audience members were swept up in the music and the beauty in which the songs were performed. Part one closed with a haunting rendition of āTake Back The Cityā where the band were accompanied by a choir of backing singers and orchestral instruments.
After a short intermission where audience members huddled in the foyer eating ice cream from cardboard pots with plastic spoons, Snow Patrol were welcomed back on stage to excited cheers. As promised by Lightbody at the start of the night, the second half took on a much more energetic and upbeat vibe. Audience members jumped up from their comfy theatre seats to dance as if possessed by the music. There wasnāt a single audience member without a smile on their face, even when the band went on to sing some of their lesser-known songs such as āDark Switchā.
When it was time for āOpen Your Eyesā and the most played song of the 21st century āChasing Carsā, the mood in the theatre was electric. Strangers sang and danced together like old friends whilst Lightbody and the band partied on stage, revelling in the audienceās joy.
Shouts of āmoreā and āencoreā filled the air as the band disappeared off stage. But the crowd werenāt left disappointed as all the groupās members re-appeared one by one to give the concert the ending it deserved. āJust Say Yesā was the song to close a night that overflowed with emotion and nostalgia from start to finish. We knew and loved all the songs, but hearing them reworked all these years later created a new and deeper love for the music which has been part of the soundtrack of life in the last 25 years.
Words: Eleanor Davidson
Photo Source: BBC Music