The O2 Forum Kentish Town was packed out for Benson Boone on Tuesday night. The thousands highly anticipating his distinctive vocals and catchy riffs. Before though, was Daniel Seavey; his presence and energy familiar to Benson’s, with a known mix of Ed Sheeran with his awareness of and interactivity with the crowd below him (or sometimes, right in front of when he seamlessly jumps off the stage and onto the barrier to get up close to the excited fans at the barricade).
Another resemblance to Sheeran were the use of multiple instruments, calling himself a “one man band” with his guitar, loop pedal, keyboard, drums and even a violin which he impressively plays through his set. Daniel was the perfect choice to warm up the crowd for Benson, and he did just that, his set flying by with new single ‘The Older You Get’, and ‘Can We Pretend That We’re Good?’.
The whole room was definitely warmed up and it wasn’t long before we saw Benson and his band take the stage; his distinctive and powerful vocals were filling the forum with the ‘Intro’ track from his debut album. He was soon out of his seat and jumping around the stage to popular track ‘Be Someone’.
He is an incredibly strong live performer, all eyes drawn to his energetic, dungaree-clad frame and it’s hard to believe he is only 21 years old with his confidence, wisdom and immaculate stage presence. All of the above paired with his staggering vocal ability is absolutely astounding to witness. His set was filled with songs from his debut album Fireworks & Rollerblades, including ‘There She Goes’, fan-favourite ‘Cry’ and ‘Slow It Down’. Benson brought his music to life through his set with the belting high notes, unexpected riffs and his humbling stories behind the music which only made it all the more captivating.
Boone did slow it down with heartfelt track ‘In The Stars’ where he requested the audience to put their phones away for just the first two choruses, highlighting the importance of living in the moment and not through a screen; the song’s meaning echoing his message.
He went on to perform the first song he ever wrote and released, ‘Ghost Town’ before he revealed the meaning of powerful track ‘What Do You Want’, saying he loves the song and it means a lot to him. He went on to say that he was told that there were “no hits” on his album, and he wrote this song in response to the criticism, only proving them wrong as his success continues to skyrocket across the globe by the minute.
Last but definitely not least was worldwide chart topping hit ‘Beautiful Things’, electrifying the crowd and leaving them on a long-lasting high even after the lights lit up the forum.