Review Hans Zimmer
Review: Hans Zimmer
Legendary composer Hans Zimmer returns to the 02 Arena for the first of two nights which brought the magic of the movies to life. By Adam Davidson
When the award-winning German composer addressed the sold-out 02 Arena crowd, he said that his shows should be like ‘having dinner with friends and playing music’, a casual affair rather than a ‘pretentious piece of sh*t.’
Hans Zimmer certainly did that as he brought classical music back to the masses, performing movie soundtracks accompanied by incredible and immersive visual effects.
The show opened in spectacular fashion with music from ‘Dune’, ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and ‘Inception’ before an incredibly moving performance of ‘Gladiator’ with the original vocalist Lisa Gerrard.
Zimmer is born for these huge shows, he has a confidence and comfort that is infectious and one of the reasons why he sells out arenas all over the world. During the ‘Man of Steel’ soundtrack he sat backwards on his chair watching and cheering on the electric guitar solo and felt at home at the 02.
The first half of the show was similar to his shows at the 02 Arena last year but the second half was given a new lease of life with some notable additions. Hans Zimmer donned a leather jacket and entered the danger zone as he performed the anthem from last year’s blockbuster hit ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’
This set the tempo for the second half of the show as it was full of pulsating energy, from walking through the crowd with his guitar during ‘The Dark Knight’ to the infectious energy of Lebo M during ‘The Lion King’, it brought the drama and excitement of these soundtracks to life as they thrive on screen but also performed live to huge crowds.
One of the highlights of the evening was an awe-inspiring performance of the soundtrack of ‘Interstellar.’ There was plenty of drama and special effects during ‘Coward’ as a disco ball created a whirlwind effect, reminiscent of Matthew McConaughey hurtling through the black hole in Christopher Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi modern classic.
The following song ‘S.T.A.Y’ was full of beauty with an aerial acrobat dancing above the stage whilst an opera singer performed below. This contrast of beauty and drama is what makes Hans Zimmer, and his compositions more widely, so memorable and the most in-demand composer in Hollywood.
Speaking about his band and orchestra, Hans Zimmer said ‘I write things and they put the wind underneath the wings of my music.’ The composer was humble and gave many members of the band their moment in the spotlight and time to shine.
From cellist Tina Guo during ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to flautist Pedro Eustache during ‘Gladiator’, Zimmer reaffirms it is a huge team effort to make music come to life.
As is customary for any Hans Zimmer concert, the composer finished with a performance of ‘Time’ from ‘Inception.’ It’s an incredibly moving piece and it is always incredible to witness a sold-out arena of 20,000 people deadly quiet, in awe of the beautiful music and paying true respects to one of the greats.
Image: Frank Embacher
