Live Review: Joji at Gunnersbury Park
Live Review: Joji at Gunnersbury Park
Global superstar Joji delivered an eclectic performance in London that was surreal and beautiful in equal measures. By Adam Davidson.
Joji performed his biggest UK show to date as he headlined a huge show at Gunnersbury Park as part of his Smithereens Oblivion tour.
The Japanese singer-songwriter started his career as the character ‘Filthy Frank’ on YouTube before pursuing his dream of being a musician in 2017.
The last time Joji performed in London was in January 2022 in front of 2,000 people at the 02 Shepherds Bush. Over a year later he performed to 20,000 people. It has been quite the journey in such a short space of time for the artist, but that just shows how he has captivated the masses with his emotional music that instantly creates a connection between the artist and listener.
Joji opened the set in style with ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘YEAH RIGHT’, standing on top of screens in the middle of the stage. The crowd were buzzing, waving their hands from side to side as the artist instantly generated an incredible atmosphere with his vocals and energy in his performance.
At times the show felt like a fever dream with surreal moments like the ‘jack-off.’ 5 Jack Sparrow look-alikes came onto the stage and Joji made them give their best impression of Johnny Depp’s iconic character before the audience had to decide which was the best.
Joji took a break from performing his tracks to step behind the DJ booth and played a mixture of Rap and EDM. This was an incredible moment of fun as pyrotechnics, smoke cannons and bass-boosted tracks had people jumping around and living in the moment.
The highlight of this section of the show came when he played ‘Glimpse of Us’, which had people softly singing along in unison… before it transitioned into a heavy Dance remix. It perfectly summed up the unpredictability of a Joji concert.
After the DJ set Joji went back on top of the screens and performed ‘Die for You’, ‘Like You Do’ and ‘Gimme Love.’ A lot of Joji’s songs are soft and not typically ones that you would imagine could create a good atmosphere at an outside venue, but there were incredible vibes throughout the crowd – that’s a credit to him and his band as performers.
The set ended with magical performances of ‘SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK’ and ‘Glimpse of Us.’ There is something beautiful about an outside concert in the pitch black with thousands of people singing along with Joji.
The stardom and cult following that Joji has achieved in such a short space of time with his music is incredible and it will inevitably keep rising. This huge show at Gunnersbury Park will be just the beginning, as his live shows perfectly blend beautiful music with a surreal style of comedy.
