Hans Zimmer Live review by Ryan Beardsley
It’s not often that a show brings you out in goosebumps so many times you have to slip your jacket back on, that can move one to tears through the power of song, that leaves you with so much respect and admiration for the artists that before you arrive home you’re already on your phone, checking for their next tour to see when you can be in their presence once again, but Hans Zimmer and his incredible band achieved all of those feats this evening.
With a suitably epic stage set up to emphasise the mammoth host of musicians in his troupe, a massive Cold War-esque computer switchboard dominates the view as the always unassuming and humble Zimmer appears and leads the band into a medley from The Dark Knight series, culminating in The Fire Rises to kick the night off with a bang.
From one classic to another, we’re transported to the sands of Arrakis in the shape of Paul’s Dream, the incomparable Loire Cotler showcasing her unbelievable gifts, strutting around the stage, belting out the vocals that gave Dune so much power and resonance.
Next is an unexpected treat as the band go all the way back to 2001’s Hannibal, one of my guilty pleasure movies and also one of the great man’s most oft-overlooked scores. This allowed the wonderful Mariko Muranaka to take centre stage, bathed in red with her cello for the gorgeous To Every Captive Soul.
Every person in the arena was holding their breath, only slightly punctuated by a technical malfunction in The o2, which led to adverts being pumped out on LCD screens for American Express and Ludovico Einaudi amongst others. The ever gracious Hans quipped that like Hannibal Lecter the person(s) responsible would be ‘served up’ as punishment.
To end the first half we were swept back to Ancient Rome with a medley from Gladiator, with the incredible Lisa Gerrard on vocal duties. The o2 was transformed into the Coliseum for Barbarian Horde before Now We Are Free had many around me in tears, with Gerrard’s peerless voice filling the 20,000 seat arena and touching every soul.
After a break just to get your breath back, the band returned with the well known Dream Is Collapsing from Inception to a huge reaction, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many phones pointing to a stage. A nice touch is that it was Nile Marr leading the guitar from atop the stage, son of the Smiths legend Johnny who was the original guitarist on the Inception soundtrack, he played with a swagger reminiscent of his father throughout the night.
The evening’s highlight came in the shape of Interstellar, both musically and visually. Beginning with Zimmer regaling the audience with a beautiful tale about how he and Christopher Nolan first constructed the ideas and themes of the film before gently easing in the delicate piano bars of Day One.
As we travelled across the cosmos to the theme of Stay, Molly Rogers, the multi talented violinist and vocalist hit a high note I could scarcely comprehend as across the arena, trapeze artist Nina Treiber was lowered from the ceiling shimmering in gold to simulate being lost in zero gravity in a spectacle that will never be forgotten.
That famous cry that signals the beginning of The Lion King bellowed out of the great Lebo M and the crowd suddenly jumped up an extra notch, as he and his daughter led the musicians through some of the classic film’s most memorable moments. The energy was off the charts and by the finale of Circle of Life everyone was on their feet reliving their youth in real time.
Just when you think you couldn’t possibly take any more, Zimmer takes centre stage on piano for a rendition of Time and I began to realise that this might be the greatest live music experience I have ever had. To be in the presence of a genuine genius, leading a number of the world’s finest musicians was a spectacle I’ll never forget as long as I live. I don’t say this lightly but for God’s sake go and see it, it doesn’t matter where it is or how much you pay for a ticket, you will have a night you will cherish for the rest of your life.
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