Live Review: Creeper – Winter Tour 2021 – O2 Forum Kentish Town

Creeper have cemented themselves as one of the stand out attractions of the alternative music scene and their long-awaited headline tour has finally come after multiple postponements due to the effects of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the start of the tour has had a little bad news as Wargasm had to pull out last minute due to complications with a covid outbreak within their camp however, the show must go on and here is exactly what went down inside the four walls of the O2 Forum that fateful night.

Kicking off the night’s entertainment was Static Dress, an exciting up and coming post-hardcore band residing from Leeds. Their high energy set got the crowd moving early with fans being extremely into tracks like ‘Sober exit(s)’ and ‘Sweet’. Throughout their performance, the band managed to captivate a room full of new fans with their eccentric stage presence as well as genuinely sounding on point throughout the night. A solid way to open up the show.

Up next was the ever exciting Holding Absence who has had quite the year for themselves, from releasing ‘The Greatest Mistake Of My Life’ to embarking on their biggest headline tour to date. So it should come as no surprise when I say that they put on one hell of a show yet again. ‘Awake’ played through the speakers before the band took to the stage to unleash ‘Celebration Song’ which gave a clear indication that the majority of those in attendance were already fans of the band as they belted back the opening chorus without hesitation. As the set progressed, it was clear that people were loving them, and as they closed their set with ‘Wilt’, the Creeper fans were well and truly warmed up.

As the lights faded and tension grew, Creeper took to the stage behind a curtain. The band’s silhouettes were made out on the curtain with the use of strobe lighting before the curtain fell and the band launched into ‘Hiding With Boys’. From the off, the energy levels were through the roof and the emotion on display was electrifying the crowd of diehard fans. The set rolled on with tracks such as ‘Born Cold’, ‘Cyanide’ and ‘Suzanne’ filling the fans with energy and passion while Creeper continued to dominate the stage with elaborate gestures and encouraging tonnes of crowd participation.

As the night continued, fans in attendance were treated to a plethora of surprises and live debuts. ‘Poison Pens’ was performed with Olli Appleyard of Static Dress to an overwhelming reception from the crowd followed by a strong performance of ‘Be My End’ before a live debut of ‘Thorns Of Love’. The outro to this song was something truly remarkable. The way the crowd sang along with Will Gould was something truly special to witness.

To the surprise of no one, the set was jam-packed with fan favourites such as ‘Napalm Girls’, ‘Down Below’ and ‘Midnight’. Singing, dancing and just having a great old time was on display from the fans on the barriers to the people up in the rafters. A stellar live performance was clearly not enough for creeper as they opted to use everything imaginable. From confetti to on-demand sparklers, the band intended to put on a set that fans would not soon forget and nothing showed that more than the band’s final song of the evening ‘Annabelle’. Bringing everything full circle and closing the show in such a satisfying way, Creeper had been waiting for this type of show for a while and by god, did they pull it off.

As a whole, the night was a celebration of all things alternative. Fans seemed to enjoy everything that was on display and despite the late call of Wargasm having to pull out due to covid complications, nothing was making this night go any other way. If this is what we have instore from Creeper in the future then I am certain they could be on the verge of something truly special.