In The Dark Music Experience Live Review in London by Ryan beardsley
I won’t lie, when I was asked to go to a concert where you sit in the dark and can see precisely nothing I was a bit unconvinced, but after an hour and change at St Bartholomew the Great’s Church in Faringdon, I was won over and then some by a unique concept that was performed with great spirit and enthusiasm by all involved.
The building itself is magnificent, if you haven’t been in you should check it out, after a nice intro where we’re reminded to be wary of tripping up any performers and told that there is a strict “No snogging” policy, you’re left to don a sleep max to block out any pesky intrusive light and then sit back and simply listen.
As someone with ADHD who struggles to remain still at the best of times I knew this would be a challenge and I must admit to a couple of peeks out from under my mask, once to check the time and another because it was too tight for my abnormally large head. Other than that though it was a really cool change of pace and a nice way to give your mind a bit of a break on the one side, whilst opening it up to a different kind of experience on the other.
So how to describe In The Dark in more detail when I didn’t see what was going on? So judging by the end, there’s a small army of some 50 musicians/vocalists who make their way around the church and the audience performing a number of tracks, some recogniseable, some less so, that have been re-worked into a more ambient, orchestral sound.
The acoustics in the building really lent to this as you might imagine and when it worked it was spectacular. At its best I felt like I was wrapped in a cocoon of music that was invading my senses (in a nice way) and when it all came together the cacophony of noise was really something.
The struggle is that with a venue this large it was always going to be a challenge to replicate or sustain this feeling for all in attendance throughout the show. Inevitably, there were times when the performers were a little further away and I felt like a rabbit sniffing the air trying to get a handle on where my attention should be focused. I think in this respect a smaller space for such an endeavour might enhance things even more.
As for the songs it’s what I’d generously describe as a safe mix for the genre, Sigur Ros was unavoidable and I suppose Coldplay too but I couldn’t help but wish I had earplugs as well as a blindfold when I sensed I was being subjected to the lyrics of Mumford & Sons. My message would be, be braver here! I imagine with a group of talented musicians there is a wealth of musical knowledge and tastes and there are tons of possibilities that could be worked into a program like tonight.
However with that said, it was an incredible experience in the company of some insanely talented musicians and vocalists with performances that sent chills down my spine at times and by the time the blindfolds came off at the end for the well deserved standing ovation, I’d enjoyed an experience that I won’t forget in a hurry.
2026 Tour Dates
29 October Bristol Cathedral (Hush)
30 October St John’s Hyde Park (Pulse)
31 October St John’s Hyde Park (Pulse)
7 November Southwark Cathedral (Pulse)
12 November Chichester Cathedral (Hush)
13 November St Albans Cathedral (Hush)
14 November All Saints Hove (Hush)
26 November St Andrew’s Holborn (Pulse)
10 December St John’s Hyde Park (Pulse)
11 December St John’s Hyde Park (Pulse)
12 December Tewkesbury Abbey (Hush)
17 December Guildford Cathedral (Hush)
Tickets on sale here.
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