Live review: Blood Orange at O2 Victoria Warehouse

Words by Riyah Naik

This November, Blood Orange brought a new hope for live music to O2 Victoria Warehouse. With this being the last night of his headline shows in Europe for the foreseeable, it brought a particularly special atmosphere for the night. His sixth studio album, Essex Honey, touches on emotions of grief and memory which brought a heavy but hopeful ambiance to the crowd.

The recent success of songs now over ten years old, such as 'Champagne Coast' and 'Uncle ACE' which featured in prominent pieces of media including Challengers, has provided him with a wide fanbase of 9.4 million monthly listeners. Upon his return from a six-year hiatus, the show allowed fans to fall in love with the evolution of Blood Orange, and also with his new album, while being able to enjoy the songs that had them infatuated in the first place. As one of the most interesting artists of our generation, with a unique ability in creating melodic and soulful ballads, Essex Honey best portrays Blood Orange's ability to bring passion in the studio but also to a live audience.

Alternative act Canty opened the show, warming the audience with their moody vocals. Shy but passionate, they took the opportunity to successfully display their distinct sound to a crowd of receptive ears. Once Dev Hynes took the stage, he immediately made it his own, appearing by himself and accompanied by only a spotlight and his keyboard as the rest of his band steadily took the stage. He opened with 'Look at You', which occupied the room with its intense, strong entrance.

Credit: Tom Banks @ The Mancunion

A cover of ‘How Soon is Now' by The Smiths stirred a particularly excited reaction from the Manchester audience, with Hynes' cello being the guiding instrument in this fantastic rendition which saw the audience breaking out in cheers. 'Best To You' was an especially memorable song, with Hynes stepping back from vocal duties to focus on the keyboard, with Eva Tolkin and Ian Isiah being outstanding in fulfilling the roles of Blood Orange and Empress Of. The harmony of their voices created a blend sounding almost identical to the original recording. The audience shared this enthusiasm, bringing vibrancy by singing and dancing along.

Hynes flirted between different instruments including guitar keyboard and cello, demonstrating his multi-faceted musical abilities. Each song allowed different instruments to flourish with the eerie guitar in 'Sutphin Boulevard', a call back to his debut album, and powerful drumming courtesy of Dillon Treacy which particularly stood out during 'Mind Loaded'. Hynes' vocals in 'Somewhere in Between' soared the electricity further.

Credit: Tom Banks @ The Mancunion

'Champagne Coast' unsurprisingly received the biggest and most emotional reaction of the night, and with the rediscovered love for the 2011 track on social media last year, everyone in attendance proved attentive, taking in every note from the guitar and the abundant vocals, resulting in a purely transcendent experience.

Essex Honey is a body of work that must be experienced live: in performance it takes you on a journey that leaves you seeing it in a whole new light. Hynes is an artist who has truly defined his sound, but still able to stretch the boundaries of what is possible while staying true to who he is, demonstrated by his ability to seamlessly flow between tracks from his new album and wider discography. His work is unparalleled in its ability to drive such emotions from people, blending old with new. And, although it nods to Sufjan Stevens and UK soul, it’s clear Blood Orange's art occupies its own lane.