The Royal Albert Hall is becoming a favorite venue of mine. I've seen a few concerts there in recent years, and they've all been superb. It has classical music at its core, but hosts various artists. In the last couple of weeks, The Who and the Sex Pistols have played there.
The acoustics and sound are always excellent, the stage view is always good, and hey, the seats swivel so you can turn slightly to be head-on to the stage. Simple things, eh! It's a big space, but it still feels close and intimate, especially compared to arenas.
Maybe it all combines to bring out the best in artists. This latest visit to the iconic venue was to see David Gray on his Past And Present Tour there on April 3, 2025. He didn't disappoint and had the crowd in rave-on mode.
Gray’s latest album, Dear Life, was released in January and marked a burst of prolific and sparkling songwriting for him. He was putting the COVID experience well behind him by finishing half-written songs and creating new ones. The album was very much the present aspect of the tour. Gray, though, has a deep catalog to draw from to easily with strong songs. Over two hours on stage, he covered the past superbly, too.
David Gray at the Royal Albert Hall, London
The new songs work well live, Gray had brought a six-piece brass ensemble with him for the gig, and they added an extra dimension to the live show. I was surprised by how many people there were on stage at times. Gray had a band of five people, many swapping instruments around and sometimes coming and going.
Add in his support act Taliah Rae, who appeared with them all for a couple of songs, including their joint single “Plus And Minus” from the new album, and it was a busy stage at times. Rae was a good choice to support, too. Apart from making that song with Gray authentic live, her own set was pretty impressive too.
She has a powerful and emotive voice, and her songs are very cool. A cover of “Purple Rain” in her set showed her talent and potential. Rae could be one to watch out for if the exposure from the single and tour reaches the right ears.
Back to Gray and his band. The singer was constantly swapping between songs, rotating between a couple of acoustic guitars, an electric one, and his keyboards. His trademark bopping or wobbling head was in overdrive at times as he flipped into the more upbeat songs from the quieter ones.
His band remained a bit mysterious without his introduction during the show. Afterward, I was compelled to look up his brilliant drummer and percussionist. Craig McClune was an absolute star, with energy, drive on the sticks, and subtle brushes when needed. He was reminiscent of the great Ray Cooper at times.
Rave on with Gray in London
Among the crazy points in the evening was a high point early on when Gray played “Please Forgive Me.” The entire hall and audience became a rave scene in plush settings. The energy of the song and its electro beat, with encouragement from Gray, ignited the crowd into a few minutes of madness, seemingly out of nowhere.
Other top moments followed, with plenty of participation, that strong set list, and some real favorites to finish. “Babylon” to walk off to, “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” to open the encore, then a Van Morrison cover, “The Way Young Lovers Do.” Gray, as he tends to do, varied the set slightly and the order, but these are his usual closers on this tour, with “Sail Away” providing a sing-along end to a very good night.
His tour continues in the UK, Ireland, and Europe until May with a brief reprise in late summer. Then he’s off down under to Australia in November. That all follows US dates earlier this year. He’s certainly going for it in terms of the tour to back the Dear Life album, but he looks and sounds like he is getting a huge thrill from it himself, as his own Instagram message after this Royal Albert Hall gig confirms.