Incubus Bring Morning View To Life At London’s O2 Arena

by | Apr 27, 2025

“Thanks for letting this record be a part of your lives, it’s literally given us ours” Brandon Boyd gushes at the conclusion of the Morning View portion of tonight’s set, at a show celebrating the Calabasas, California band’s seminal 2001 record. And what a record it is.

Time bends and memories blur as Incubus take the stage at London’s cavernous O2 Arena, inviting a sold-out crowd on a journey through one of their most beloved albums. But this isn’t just a nostalgic revisitation of Morning View; tonight is a vivid, living celebration of a band still at the height of their creative powers — and the thousands lucky enough to be here can feel it from the first note.

Incubus @ The O2

Incubus @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)
Incubus @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

As the house lights fade, a hush falls. Ambient tones ripple through the dark, building anticipation until, one by one, the band members walk into the soft glow of the stage. Without a word, they launch straight into Nice To Know You, and it’s immediately clear: Incubus aren’t content to simply recreate the past — they’re here to breathe new fire into it.

The sound is immaculate. Brandon Boyd’s vocals cut through the atmosphere like a blade — warm, elastic, and slightly frayed at the edges in all the right ways. Mike Einziger’s guitar work is a study in nuance, moving from shimmering textures to jagged riffing with effortless grace. José Pasillas sits relaxed behind his kit, his drumming a masterclass in groove and restraint, while Chris Kilmore conjures lush soundscapes from his turntables, keyboards, and theremin. Nicole Row, a commanding presence on bass, melds perfectly into the lineup, her harmonies adding a welcome new dimension to the band’s trademark sound.

Circles pulsates with pent-up energy, the tension tightening with each verse before exploding into the cathartic release of the chorus. From the first note of Wish You Were Here, the arena transforms into a roaring choir. Thousands of voices soar, hands rise skyward, and Boyd steps back from the mic, smiling as The O2 crowd sing the words back to him. It’s not a performance — it’s communion. The band proceed through Morning View in its entirety, honouring the original running order. The flow feels organic, like a narrative unfolding — from the dreamy unease of Just A Phase to the delicate introspection of 11am. During Blood On The Ground, reimagined tonight as an acoustic bruiser, the band showcase their ability to reinvent their own material without losing its core fire with Boyd, Row and Einziger converging in front of the drum riser to deliver the tune.

One of the night’s most breathtaking moments comes during Mexico. The lights dim to a single spotlight spanning Boyd and Einziger, who perch on the frontman’s monitors at the edge of the vast stage, guitar resting lightly across Einziger’s lap. The frontman is raw, intimate, and utterly magnetic. The O2 falls utterly silent, a rare and powerful thing for a venue this size. Even from the farthest rafters, the emotion feels personal.

Incubus @ The O2

Incubus @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)
Incubus @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

When Warning kicks in, the band detonate the stillness with a wall of sound, red and orange lights flashing violently across the stage. The energy shifts again with Echo, the song’s shimmering melodies lifting the room out of its darkness and into pure euphoria. The momentum keeps rolling into Have You Ever — lean, snarling, and tense — before the set loosens up with funky Are You In? The band effortlessly weave more than a snippet of Phil Collins’ classic In the Air Tonight into the middle, Boyd prowling the stage as the crowd erupts at the surprise interpolation, Pasillas channeling Collins’ raw power from the original to a hometown crowd. It’s playful, unexpected, and feels like a special gift just for tonight — had you not studied the current tour’s setlist!

There’s more mischief as Under My Umbrella is opened with a few bars of Rihanna’s massive Umbrella — a wink from the band that draws laughter and cheers. These little easter eggs pepper the evening, small flashes of how much fun the band are clearly having together. They close the Morning View chapter with a sublime whalesong-led Aqueous Transmission, Mike Einziger switching to a traditional Chinese pipa to cascade across waves of ambient sound. Images of koi fish and lotus flowers drift lazily across the screens, transforming The O2 into a dreamscape. No applause interrupts the song’s long, meditative outro — the audience simply floating along until the last shimmering note fades into blackness.

Incubus @ The O2

Incubus @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)
Incubus @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

The silence barely lasts a moment before the house explodes into a chant for more. Without actually leaving the stage, they return, energised and loose, and tear into lead Light Grenades single Anna Molly — the 49-year-old frontman bounding across the stage, his voice sharp and defiant. The light show matches the song’s frantic energy: coloured strobes slicing through thick columns of smoke as the band lock into an irresistible groove.

Make Yourself cut The Warmth offers a different kind of catharsis. When Boyd leans into the line, “Don’t let the world bring you down,” it feels like a benediction — and the crowd roars it back with fierce conviction. Then comes one of the night’s most thrilling left-turns. Midway through S.C.I.E.N.C.E. tune Vitamin, Nicole Row steps to the forefront, bass pulsing low and slow, and launches into an unexpected cover of Bristol group Portishead’s Glory Box. Her voice — sultry, aching, magnificent — brings the crowd to a stunned hush before the full band slam back into Vitamin to a deafening ovation. It’s a jaw-dropping moment that cements Row not just as the “new bassist,” but as an indispensable force within Incubus.

Breakthrough 1999 single Pardon Me follows, a tidal wave of energy and defiance. Boyd leans into the mic, howling the chorus, spinning, arms wide open — the embodiment of release, before handing vocal duties over to his audience before finally, the band ease into Drive, the song that launched them into the mainstream and still carries a quiet power. As Einziger strums the familiar opening chords, the arena becomes a sea of tiny lights — phones held high filming, swaying arms — and voices. Every person in North Greenwich arena seems to be singing, smiling, feeling. It’s a closing moment that feels intimate and universal all at once.

Tonight is proof that Incubus are not a band tethered to their past, but one constantly moving forward — evolving, expanding, still hungry to explore. Morning View was always an album about transition, change, and hope — likely why the group re-worked and re-recorded the LP as Morning View XXIII in 2023 — and tonight’s performance captures that spirit perfectly.

Brandon Boyd remains one of the most magnetic frontmen in rock, a shamanic figure guiding the crowd through every emotional swell, unforced, deeply connected to the music and the audience. Mike Einziger’s guitar work is nothing short of virtuosic. Kilmore’s sonic architecture deepens every corner of the band’s soundscape. Pasillas anchors it all with rhythm that’s somehow both ferocious and fluid. And Nicole Row feels like she has always belonged — bringing new textures, new soul, and a bold new chapter for Incubus. Rather than simply replicate Morning View, the group use tonight’s show to celebrate its spirit: transformation, growth, and vulnerability. Their chemistry is as potent as ever. This isn’t a victory lap, it’s a statement. Incubus are still writing their story — and it’s far from over, with forthcoming ninth LP Something In The Water heavily teased at tonight’s show.

Live review and photography of Incubus at The O2 Arena, London on 26th April 2025 by Kalpesh Patel.

Beck Is Transcendent With The BBC Concert Orchestra At The Royal Albert Hall

Blair Davie (Press)

Blair Davie Unveil Deeply Personal New EP ‘First And Last’

Scottish singer-songwriter Blair Davie has released their highly anticipated new EP, First And Last, via Giant Music —...
Joyce Manor (Dan Monick)

Joyce Manor Announce New Album ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’ Alongside Lead Single ‘Well, Whatever It Was’

California punk favourites Joyce Manor have announced details of their upcoming album I Used To Go To This Bar, due for release on 30th January 2026 via Epitaph Records. The band have also shared the lead single Well, Whatever It Was, accompanied by a chaotic and comedic Lance Bangs–directed music video that riffs on The Great British Bake Off, featuring cameos from comedians and musicians playing UK rock icons.

Third Eye Blind @ Islington Assembly Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Third Eye Blind Bring Chaos, Charm And Catharsis To London’s Islington Assembly Hall

An ominous, synth-driven hum filled the room at Islington Assembly Hall, a restless Thursday night crowd buzzing beneath it. Then — silence. A heartbeat later, the guitars of Thanks A Lot burst to life as Stephen Jenkins strode onto the stage in crisp white trousers and a beanie, his guitar hung low, his every movement theatrical. The room erupted. Without a word, Third Eye Blind were off and running — all muscle, melody and memory.

Darius Rucker @ Utilita Arena Birmingham (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Country Spirit Soars As Darius Rucker Brings Nashville Energy To Birmingham

It was a night of country music highs at the Utilita Arena Birmingham as Darius Rucker brought his unmistakable voice and charisma to the city. The South Carolina-born star has long been a bridge between country traditions and mainstream appeal, and his stop in Birmingham underlined why he remains one of the genre’s most enduring figures. Before the headline act took the stage, the crowd was treated to a journey through some of country’s brightest stars, each setting the mood in their own way.

Fickle Friends (Daniel Alexander Harris)

Fickle Friends Bottle The Chaos Of New Love On Single ‘Joe’ Ahead Of Self-Titled Album

Brighton indie-pop favourites Fickle Friends have unveiled their latest single Joe, a bold and chaotic anthem that...
W.A.S.P. @ Hammersmith Apollo (Louise Phillips)

Blackie Lawless Reigns Supreme: W.A.S.P. Ignite Eventim Apollo With Shock-Rock Fury

Blackie Lawless is to Rock what the Milky Bar Kid is to chocolate, an unforgettable icon with a legendary status who seems to defy the normal rules of ageing! And tonight at the packed Eventim Apollo he is a man clearly intent on giving the audience a night that they will never forget.

Madness @ Uptown Festival 2024 (Kalpesh Patel)

Madness Announce Greatest Hits Album Hit Parade & 2025 UK Arena Tour

The original Nutty Boys are back. Camden legends Madness have announced the release of their new greatest hits collection, Hit Parade, out on 21st November 2025 via West Village Music Management. The career-spanning anthology celebrates more than four decades of chart-topping singles, fan favourites, and rare gems from one of Britain’s most beloved bands.

Robert Smith of The Cure @ Glastonbury Festival 2019 (Kalpesh Patel)

Isle Of Wight Festival 2026: Lewis Capaldi, Calvin Harris & The Cure Lead A Landmark Line-Up

The Isle of Wight Festival 2026 has unveiled its headliners and first wave of artists, setting the stage for another...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing