THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
London Palladium, May 9, 2025
The year was 1998, I had just moved from New York to London and was for one more year, carefree and childless. I was exploring the city and enrolled in a Christie's course to improve my knowledge of art. Standing in line for a coffee during a class break, the just realized song 'Babylon' came through the cafe speakers. I was immediately transfixed, literally stuck where I was standing in line. The lyrics, the catchy guitar, the refrain, "And if you want it, come and get it" – it was one of those 'it' moments that I will never forget. The artist, of course was English singer-songwriter writer David Gray, and the song was from his fourth album White Ladder, a phenomenon that year.
It became my anthem of that time as I loved the catchy tune but especially the lyrics. "Friday night I'm going nowhere / All the lights are turning green to red", and then "Saturday I'm running wild / And all the lights are turning red to green" with "Chemicals ... rushing in my bloodstream". It seemed naughty and innocent at the same time. Since I don't drink or take drugs, I felt it was my endorphin chemicals running through my bloodstream while the lights were changing red to green. Also the lyric "Crying out loud" reminded me of my father, who's go-to expletive in Indiana was 'For crying out loud!' I've never heard anyone use that phrase in London, so I felt an immediate connection to David Gray and White Ladder. Gray describes 'Babylon' as "a song about a love that is lost and found again!"
A good friend had tickets to see David Gray on his 'Past and Present 2025 tour' at London's Palladium Theatre (an intimate and historic venue of 2,000 seats) and I was thrilled to be asked to join him. All these years of being a fan, I had never seen him live. In the sold out venue, Gray was mesmerizing in the first of two London shows promoting his new album Dear Life. The songs I didn't know immediately became favorites, and the favorites that I already knew became legendary.
Following the immense success of White Ladder, which became one of the best selling UK albums of the 21st century (the fifth best selling of the noughties, it was number 1 in the UK and Ireland, and in the UK top 100 for nearly 3 years) Gray has been a respected figure in the music industry. Adele, Ed Sheeran and Hozier have referenced him as influencing their music. After such monumental success, and a 2000 album A New Day at Midnight (less rapturously received by the critics, but still No. 1 in Ireland and 7 in the UK) he took a hiatus which saw him tone down his recording and touring due to exhaustion. He returned with Life in Slow Motion which topped the UK album chart in the first week of its release and was hailed as a return to form by critics.
As the years have passed Gray's song craft has only deepened; his 2021 album Skellig is a perception of place (County Kerry, Ireland) and positioned him in the place of poetic singer-songwriters. Gray has continued along his own artistic path. After having to cancel a world tour due to the Covid epidemic, he started 2025 by releasing Dear Life, his 13th studio album and embarking on a world tour, with the intent of celebrating and showcasing his impressive discography, while also presenting the joy and enthusiasm he has for his new music.
Gray describes his latest album as "a result of starburst songwriting… it just seems as if the gods of songwriting were being kind. The doubting voices didn't turn up."
Back to the concert: In flowing white pants and a blue bomber jacket, David Gray emerges through the blue smoky stage lights to thunderous applause. He is taller and better looking than his album photos give him credit for and his outfit reminded me of the 'captain of his own ship'; he was going to take the audience on a 'sea journey', I thought, instead of a concert – all that was missing was a sea captain's hat. And at the end of two hours of a magical musical voyage it was hard to find my 'sea legs'!
He started the show by launching into 'After the Harvest' from his new album Dear Life. I didn't know the song, but it immediately felt familiar because it was the real-life 'David Gray' and his voice was even more impressive live. It soared, then turned into a deep, gritty gravel in a moment. He followed with 'Leave Taking' also from his new album. He credits both songs, but especially 'Leave Taking', for pulling him out of his post-Covid low and inspiring him to write songs again. You could see his delight throughout the performance. Gray's ability to draw the crowd's attention was effortless as he told stories of his time in lockdown and his tortured writing process, allowing us into the process of a creative musical mastermind. He then sang two old favorites from White Ladder, with the crowd singing every word.
The light show was a spectacle in itself. On stage, Gray sang, strummed, plucked the ivories and danced to an array of starburst lights, strobes and multiple spotlights, as well as hazy smoke that constantly changed hue. He even struck a disco pose with his tambourine; a musician who loves his craft, serious, yet playful!
His impressive band seemed to adore Gray, providing backup vocals as opposed to having additional singers. They provided a great backdrop for his powerful voice and had fun while they were doing it. Even the drummer's sticks changed colors with the songs, sometimes red, sometimes yellow and even blue with tassels… it all made for a carnival atmosphere.
The piano centerpiece of the evening was 'This Year's Love', which is also a theme to a movie of the same name. Poignant and emotional, it had a few tears running down my cheeks. 'Please Forgive Me,' a personal favorite, had him swaying from side to side while seated at the piano, the crowd singing along: "Lightning running through my veins / every time I look at you" – the acoustics in the Palladium were amazing and the venue was on fire.
There were shouts of 'C'mon Dave' and 'Let's be havin' it' from the audience after the applause and before the opening of almost every song. This must be a theme in his shows, as he seemed unsurprised and welcomed it. His response to one loud shouter was "this is definitely going on now" before launching into another hit. I have to admit to not really understanding 'Brit Speak' but figured it was all in good fun.
In the middle of the set a lovely women in a long black gown and opera gloves accompanied Gray. Enter Talia Rae. She looked like an amazing '40's movie star beside Dave's 'seafarer' attire. They sang two breathtaking songs that had the entire venue in awe, their voices adding an extra layer of emotion to the moving lyrics of 'Plus and Minus' and 'Fighting Talk.' Gray described writing 'Plus and Minus' this way: "Some songs refuse to do the polite thing and go away, this is certainly true of this one which had me going around in circles for twenty years to the point it almost drove me crazy! This took a LOT of work to get it right, but we got there in the end...even if the end was twenty years from the beginning." It's from his new album and now one of my favorites!
"Writing music is like archaeology, nagging and bothering for years until you find a song like a fossil in a stone," he mused during the evening.
'Meet Me on the Other Side' was sung with raw emotion, and once again, I shed a tear or two at the vulnerability in Gray's voice.
Gray closed the main set with (in my opinion his best creation) 'Babylon.' The audience was on its feet with the opening chords, while Gray, who was having a whale of a time, was doing his signature 'head bob' with abandonment while pumping a fist in the air. The way he bobs his head back and forth to the music with joy reminded me of a kid's toy on a car dashboard. He and I share a fabulous physiotherapist in London and, with all that head swaying, he probably needs some stretching of his neck and back muscles! Our mutual physio refused to comment on any treatment except to say that "Dave is a lovely guy".
The audience erupted when the band returned for an encore, launching into 'Flame Turns Blue'. Gray then did a cover of the artist Sandy Denny, who died way too young, paying her tribute with 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes', before ending the gig with 'Sail Away' which showcased some of the UK's finest songwriting. He is one of a very few musicians where the recorded version of the song doesn't do him proper justice. Hearing the songs live takes them to a whole new level.
The show was a celebration of David Gray's career featuring both old hits and newer material. "These two gigs at the Palladium are, I think, the final two shows of the 'formal' tour which in part explains why there was such a great celebratory mood as the tour has been such a success," explained my companion.
After a thrilling evening, I can't get even one of David Gray's songs out of my head. Just like standing in the coffee shop line in 1998 and being struck by a bolt of lightning by the name of David Gray.