Live Review: Awolnation @ Shepherds Bush Empire

by | Jun 2, 2014

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

With an arm embracing a tattoo with the word Grace on  Aaron Bruno the man behind the concept of Awolnation enters the stage with a theatrical silhouette posed against the AN backdrop. Grace is the album by Jeff Buckley that was such an influence on him his songwriting and lifestyle.

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

Three years after its release, the sun has still to set on Awolnation’s Megalithic Symphony debut. The album and song Sail have spent over 80 weeks in the Billboard chart in the USA and there is still not sign of a follow-up. Here Sail was performed in a stripped down way and kept toward the end. His boyish demeanor and athleticism abound as the centre of the stage is kept for him alone and his band moved to either side and the back.

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

The pop driven Guilty Filthy Souls opened the set with the very young mainly female fronts rows joining in and chanting the chorus which in a way is also a strange juxtapose as the 35 year old singer laps up the adulation. Its Not Your Fault and unleashed in the middle of the set Kill Your Heroes were given  a heavy rock treatment by  Aaron Bruno and his live group, a style which has seen him grow his fan base through the Vans Warped Tours in the USA and UK.

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

The set list seems relatively sparse and his time on stage is quite short at only an hour and 20 minutes but the encore of Knights of Shame delves into all his song styles and makes you think you have had your moneys worth at least.

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

Awolnation live in London. (Simon Jay Price)

Photography and Review by Simon Jay Price. 30th May 2014 @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000txgev43sL30″ g_name=”Awolnation-2014″ f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

D:Ream (Press)

D:Ream Announce First London Headline Show in 15 Years Plus Leeds Date for May 2026

‘90s dance icons D:Ream are set to return to the stage next spring, announcing two headline shows in London and Leeds for May 2026. The news follows the release of their acclaimed 2025 comeback album Do It Anyway, which marked a powerful creative resurgence for the duo of Peter Cunnah and Al Mackenzie.

The Last Dinner Party @ O2 Academy Brixton (Kalpesh Patel)

The Last Dinner Party Turn O2 Academy Brixton Into A Cathedral Of Chaos And Harmony

It’s a homecoming tonight. The Last Dinner Party step onto the stage at O2 Academy Brixton for the first of two...
Teenage Cancer Trust 2026 - Lineup Poster

Teenage Cancer Trust Returns To The Royal Albert Hall In 2026 With Robert Smith–Curated Line-Up

Teenage Cancer Trust’s historic annual concert series returns to the Royal Albert Hall from 23rd–29th March 2026,...
Sabaton @ The O2 (Catherine Beltramini)

Sabaton Ignite The Stage With An Historic, Explosive Spectacle At The O2 Arena

Few bands embrace spectacle with the conviction and ambition of Sabaton, and their latest live performance proves once again that the Swedish power-metal titans have elevated historical storytelling into an art form all its own. Renowned for transforming pivotal wartime chapters into thunderous anthems, the band delivered a concert that felt more like an epic saga brought to life, complete with firepower, orchestral majesty, and immersive theatre.

Wolf Alice @ The O2 (Neil Lupin)

From Dive Bars To The Dome: Wolf Alice’s Homecoming At The O2 Is A Career-Defining Triumph

There was a crackle in the air before Wolf Alice even stepped onstage, the kind of charged, anticipatory energy that only comes when a band returns to the city that made them. From their scrappy London beginnings to two sold-out nights at The O2 Arena, this felt like a coronation years in the making.

Carpenter Brut (Førtifem)

Carpenter Brut Unleashes New Single ‘Leather Temple’ And Teases Final Chapter Of The Leather Trilogy

French synthwave powerhouse Carpenter Brut has returned with Leather Temple, a punishing and atmospheric new single that offers the first, ferocious taste of the third and final instalment of his long-running Leather trilogy, due in 2026. Loaded with abrasive beats, metallic textures, and a rising sense of tension, the track arrives as an immediate statement of intent: this concluding chapter will be darker, heavier, and more cinematic than anything that has come before.

Kelsy Karter & The Heroines @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

Kelsy Karter & The Heroines Ignite The O2 With Riotous Rock & Raw Charisma

Kelsy Karter & The Heroines stride onto The O2 Arena stage like they own every inch of it. The Australian–British...
n0trixx (Andy Ford)

n0trixx Announces Debut Album ‘A Catalogue Of Madness And Melancholia’, Shares Harrowing New Single ‘Revenge On God’

Russian-born, Lancashire-based “bedlamcore” artist n0trixx has announced her debut album A Catalogue Of Madness And Melancholia, set for release on 13th March 2026, alongside the arrival of its uncompromising lead single Revenge On God.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing