Ben Howard has a reputation for being a performer who sets his own rules. With a sound that has changed considerably over many years in the industry, Howard has a reticence to play tracks from his earlier albums and has moved towards a sound that is more ethereal and a setlist that is more esoteric. The Enmore Theatre was sold out for both nights of Howard’s Sydney tour and was as packed to the brim as I had ever seen the venue, with the mosh pit so full that some audience members had to watch from the bar.
This meant that the audience was full of anticipation when Howard began his set. As Howard entered the stage, he took the crowd through some of his newer music which was initially well-received. It is clear that Howard is an extremely talented musician. His musicianship, especially through the utilisation of a pedalboard, is top-notch and his newer music is lighter and heavy on showmanship of his craft, which is evident from his set.
Howard was immersed in his guitar and his band filled the room with a full sound. However, there was not much variance in the show with the entire set being played at somewhat of a similar level. This meant it was hard for the audience to maintain interest and focus which did result in a lack of engagement from quite early in the show. The crowd that was initially packed as far as the eye could see slowly thinned out and the wave of people checking their phones began to steadily increase.
There was minimal communication between Howard and the audience which maintained the distance felt by those at the show. As technical issues began to plague the show, it became an increasingly uncomfortable watch, as Howard stopped the show multiple times mid-song when he seemed fed up with the issues he was facing. The mix was definitely a challenge as often Howard’s voice could not be heard over the band at all (and if it was, very faintly).
However, Howard saved his most audacious act until last when, after struggling with the sound towards the end of his main set, he simply walked off the stage and the lights went up without an encore. The audience was stunned as Howard still had about 20-25 minutes of his setlist to play and simply seemed to give up. While the sound issues were certainly a challenge, to simply walk off stage without any warning to his fans was quite inexcusable. There was more than a little disquiet in the audience, especially amongst those who had travelled to see Howard and were left with a set where it seemed as though he really could not be bothered to play. This spilt over onto online forums and social media after the concert as well.
Ultimately, this was a show that did not live up to anyone’s expectations. While the construction of a setlist is a matter for each artist, to not play any hits showed somewhat of a disregard for the audience, many of whom would have been fans of Howard since he came onto the scene. While many an artist has eschewed their hits to play a set that they enjoy more (the great Bob Dylan springs to mind), a certain star power really is needed to justify this. No matter where one falls on this issue (which is the subject of fierce debate among Howard’s fans online), to walk off stage and abruptly curtail a set is really quite disrespectful to fans who had bought tickets for a sold-out show. Without a doubt, there is room for eccentricity and artistry in music, but, unfortunately, this felt like nothing more than an artist, who didn’t really want to be there, going a step too far.
Rating: ★1/2
Ben Howard – Enmore Theatre – 30th May, 2024
All photo credits: Matija Smojver – @nushade_
Musicaltheatre.au - Australian music and theatre reviews 