top of page

Alec Benjamin played a sold out date in London

Natalie Brown

Natalie Brown

30/07/22 Alec Benjamin




Alec Benjamin bought his (UN)COMMENTARY tour to London and played an admirable show at the O2 Forum Kentish town on 30th July.


He opened the show, joined by his band with ‘Older’, a sentimental song which the crowd wasted no time in joining in. Less than halfway through the performance Alec was smiling as everyone sung with him.



He moved straight into ‘If We Have Each Other’, the meaning behind the song (written about his sister) became much more powerful as Alec’s sister and other family members were in the audience. It was a beautiful moment to experience live.


‘Water Fountain’ was also on the set list, Alec starting on the piano with the calming melody, moving to an acoustic guitar, showcasing his powerful vocals seeming angelic as the audience accompanied him.


My personal favourite of the set was ‘Boy in the Bubble’, I particularly enjoy the studio version but hearing it live it became more energised and stood out from the other tracks. The style is fast-paced and it was clearly loved due to the audience’s passionate response. During this song, Alec made great use of stage space and standing with his guitarist whilst playing impressive instrumentals. He made sure to give the band members lots of recognition something solo acts often forget. He encouraged the audience to cheer for each member and introduced them which was a great touch.

Another song that stood out for me was ‘Hammers’. Normally when listening to (UN)COMMENTARY, this track isn’t one of my favourites however when played live the song had much more depth. The slow-building, layered instrumentals, and stunning light displays really enhanced the performance. (Check out my short video of this song on my YouTube channel via this link: https://youtu.be/IWciikeoC1M )


Alec stopped to take a request during the show, which was one of his first songs ‘I Built a Friend’. It’s been a while since he played the song, he did it without the extended outro and it was a special, unexpected moment, which many fans seemed to appreciate as they once again joined in singing with him.


Another old song, ‘Paper Crown’ was played for the final encore a beautiful way to end the night.


London is a special place for Alec as it’s the place he learned to write songs and Kentish Towns' beautiful venue with the antique design made for a lovely space throughout. I appreciate how he added a range of songs from different albums despite it being the (UN)COMMENTARY tour. I feel as though people could have different opinions about this but I enjoyed hearing a lot of his older songs being played again. I feel as though this concert and Alec Benjamin stood out from other events due to the chemistry he had with other band members (Dillan Withrow on guitar, Nick Petro on bass, Josh Jacobson on keys and James Prinzi on drums). They played an important role in enhancing the overall experience. Alec’s appreciation for his fans also left me with a positive impression as he mentioned that ‘the most important part of the equation is you’.


Overall, through the varied set, Alec’s uplifting stage presence, and perfect accompaniment, this was a beautiful evening.

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page