Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

So another year has come and gone and Delirious? are once again at Shepherd's Bush Empire for the first of two shows; this one will be followed in a few weeks by their now annual Christmas show. It's a year that has seen a new single and album, both of which were greeted with distinctly mixed reactions by the normally fanatical fanbase. But from the looks of tonight's crowd there's still enough enthusiasm to fill the Empire's several levels.

Supporting act Kendall Payne attained a rare feat for an opener on a d:tour and won the attention of the vast majority of the crowd. Her enthusiasm was evident, and there was a strong crowd rapport which helped the songs, some from her Jordan's Sister album, some new, and one a cover of the main attraction's "Happy Song" come alive in a way the album hadn't allowed. Signed as she is to Delirious?'s distribution company, Fierce, we're likely to be seeing a fair bit more of Ms. Payne in the UK.

But despite engaging with the support, there was only one band the crowd was there for. In some ways this felt like a "greatest hits" tour of sorts as the band resurrected more of the old material than has been their way at UK gigs of late. Perhaps that's because of the lackluster response to Audio Lessonover but it's more likely to be a result of the forthcoming Deeper collection. The old material does sound great, with chunky-pop classic "Not Ashamed" clearly going down as a crowd favorite. Sadly the next single, a remake of "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever" doesn't have quite the same energy or such an enthusiastic response, sitting as it does in the middle of a set which doesn't really take off till it was nearly over.

Delirious? concerts have gone down in these and other pages as "experiences" with full light shows and, looking further back, impressive use of video screens. The video screens have been gone for a while but the lighting and related effects weren't quite at their peak tonight and that contributes to the apparent lack of direction through much of the set. When the band really gets going, as they do at times throughout, but particularly in the last song of the main set and for the encore, there's a confidence and power that shows they still have that spark that so many hopes have been pinned on. For "Not Ashamed," "Bliss," and the much-maligned but really quite catchy last single "Waiting for the Summer" the feel is just right, but it would have helped if that direction had appeared earlier.

A Delirious? gig always has its highlights and this one was no exception, but it appears that the band are in a place of flux. The new album's material generally held its own, but it was only when they upped the ante, and generally when they played older material, that the connection between band and crowd was tangible. As ever, it'll be interesting to see where they take it next.

James Stewart 12/16/2001