Empyre / St Pancras Old Church / London
Something very different tonight. A trip to London and exiting St Pancras station, a short walk along the side of the station and past a low wall with iron railings, with a stunning church all lit up in the fresh winterair. Well… when I say walk past, walk to the gates and join the queue outside the church !
I’ve shot a show in a church before, when I saw the incredible Darkher perform at Todmorden Unitarian Church. A very special night, and tonight promises to be the same, as Empyre start a two night residency at the St Pancras Old Church.
A stunning church in the heart of the city, who regularly put on musical events. With a mix of seating and standing, it’s an intimate location for a night of music. Both nights are sold out, and I’m excited for what’s to come.
First up in support is singer / songwriter Harry Pane. A simple set up, just Harry, his guitar and a drum box on the floor. Opening the set with Real Souls its clear to see Harry is an exceptional performer. The lyrics are thoughtful and emotive and his guitar playing is delightful, intricate and skilful. What really impresses, is his relaxed, natural interactions with the crowd between songs. He comes over as a very modest guy and genuine.
Highlights of the support for me were Beautiful Life, a beautiful piece of songwriting about the up and downs of life, the lyrics transmitting effectively the highs and lows we experience. Then there is Fletcher Bay. A stunning slow, beautiful and meaningful song, all about a place in New Zealand. Its somewhere special he spent time with his late father, and a tribute to him – it’s a stunner, and very touching.
There’s a nice mix of styles, for example with the slide guitar work in the rich blues influenced Mamma. And there’s a fantastic version of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love (one of favourite FM songs) which he applies his own style to, and it works brilliantly.
Genuine, soulful and enjoyable. Harry is a real find, and I’ll certainly be looking out for his shows !
Setlist
Real Souls
Can't Find My Way Home (Blind Faith cover)
Take it in My Stride
Big Love (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Fletcher Bay
Beautiful Life
Lady Luck
Never Coming Home
Mamma
A short trip to the table in the foyer for a soft drink and look through the merch (and pick up a vinyl of course !) and back into the main hall for Empyre. No Empyre are no new comers to acoustic sets, and they are known for frequently doing acoustic versions. Its an element of their formula I really like. Tonight’s show is focused mainly around the latest album “Relentless”, there’s a selection of older and fan favourite tracks in there too.
The smoke swirls round us and the church lights dim. A simple lighting set up powers up as the band take their positions. Drummer Elliot Bale takes up his position at the back in front of the alter, as Henrik Steenholdt (vocals & guitar), Did Coles (guitar and keyboards) Grant Hockley (Bass) sit in a line at the front on high stools.
Right from the off with Relentless, you realise just what an incredible voice Henrik has. It’s powerful and rich with emotive tones and in the acoustics of the old church, it fills the air around us. For a venue of its kind, the sound mix is excellent, each element present, but none dominating.
After the first song, Henrik asks if we’ve had a good Thursday….. silence greets him and he laughs saying ‘its going to be a long night’. He asks who has seen them before and who hasn’t, and there are a few Empyre virgins in tonight. His interactions with the audience are natural, funny and relaxed. The bands relationship with their fans is second to none. Henrik tells us about the merch table, but they have a free A4 sized commemorative print for everyone, and they will head straight to the stand after the show and sign them for fans. A really nice touch !
Having listened to “Relentless” many times, what I loved was the difference you get with an acoustic version. The playing has to be different, and it allows the band to give each track a different and unique ambiance, and it works wonderfully well. For example, on My Bad Did Coles uses the piano to great effect to add new layers of emotion to an already complex and sombre number. Likewise Hit and Run exudes a different feel again in its acoustic form, with the lyrics taking on an ever more reflective nature than the original.
The interactions continue and Henrik tells us the story behind the opening sounds which Grant came up with for Your Whole Life Slows. Henrik had rung him and Grant played to him a new opening riff, and Henrik loved it. He asked what the noise was in the background, and it was Grant’s washing machine on its spin cycle in the background, and that was it, it was in the mix !
Alongside Henrik, Did Coles is a fantastic guitarist and he delivers some wonderful delicate and often hauntingly beautiful sounds. Grant delivers some soft rich bass resonance to the mix and forms a great partnership with rhythm partner Elliot on drums, who adds depth, but never unsettles the balance. (Speaking with the bands support team I understand some fans felt the drums were too loud, but I didn’t think that, and I guess to some extent the nature of the building and its unusual angles can have unavoidable sonic consequences). But regardless, I loved it and the interaction between the five is outstanding.
The simple but effective lighting also added to the experience. The stage is backlit form the alter/sanctuary area in soft tones of blue and lilac, and the intermittent spots from behind the drums adds to the ambiance.
True to their word, after the show they chat, take selfies with the fans and sign prints and albums for the fans.
St Pancras Old Church is a wonderful venue. It’s small, intimate and has some impressive acoustics and Empyre use it to great effect, delivering a magical performance. The audience sat in silence, enjoying every single note.
A fabulous night from start to finish.
You can catch Empyre on their “Waking Light” tour in April, check out the tour poster at the end of this review.
Setlist
Relentless
Cut to the Core
Just a Ride
Too Close
Your Whole Life Slows
My Bad
Drive
Forget Me
Titanium
Howngrown
New Republic
Hit & Run
Stone
Only Way Out
