Oh Wonder continued with their international tour this Saturday, performing at our very own O2 Institute Birmingham in support of their debut album, ‘No One Else Can Wear Your Crown’. The London based pop-duo took centre stage to perform the tracks from their newest album, blended with their audience-pleasing classics of ‘Livewire’, ‘Drive’ and ‘Ultralife’. Kicking off their set with the single ‘Better Now’, released in October, and closing with the defiant pop banger ‘Hallelujah’, Oh Wonder left a big mark on Birmingham.
Having made their relationship extremely clear in this newest album, Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West have explicitly showcased their love to the world. The duo very obviously played up to this during their set, as Josephine discussed her ex-boyfriends and her extreme love of men, and Anthony dramatically expressed his jealousy. Bickering on stage about life on the road, and singing of soulmates, the couple established just how close they really are and created an atmosphere of love and affection within the audience which was extremely fitting for their debut album.
Alongside their blossoming relationship, the album celebrates love in all forms and Josephine passionately brought this to the stage. Discussing her own experiences as a women in the music industry, she explained how she was subjected to years of cynicism from men who constantly told her that her appearance would have an impact on her achievements. She preached to Birmingham’s audience the importance of self-love and solidarity in today’s society and stressed how important it is to keep your head up. Her attitude, and the impending International Women’s Day on Sunday, perfectly encompassed the atmosphere of love that their album and their relationship showed to the audience.
Their set was a celebration of friendship and positivity, as Oh Wonder treated us to their best bops whilst spreading a passionate message of love in all and any form. Bringing the audience together as Josephine and Anthony bounced around the stage, you could do nothing but enjoy the emotionally charged and extremely excitability energy in the O2 Institute.
By Grace Lea
