In 2012, I watched Deaf Havana and The Dangerous Summer share a stage; in 2026, I got to do it all over again. Deaf Havana have sat close to my heart for years, and I’ve seen them live more times than I can count. Still, nothing quite prepared me for hearing one of my favourite albums ever, FOOLS AND WORTHLESS LIARS, played live in its entirety.
The occasion was two nights at the legendary O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 5th and 6th November, celebrating 15 years of the record. With The Dangerous Summer back on the bill, fourteen years after I first saw the two bands together, it felt like a full circle moment and one of the best nights of my concert year. I attended the first night. The venue was packed with fans young and old, and The Dangerous Summer were set to play their 2009 debut album, REACH FOR THE SUN, in its entirety.
I still have a few songs from this album on my daily rotation playlist, so naturally I, along with the excited crowd, started singing along to ‘Where I Want To Be’, which opened the night and is one of my favourite songs ever! The set continued with ‘Settle Down’, ‘Weathered’ and ‘Symmetry’, and a visibly emotional AJ, the lead singer, took the mic to greet the cheering crowd. He expressed his excitement about being back in London and on tour with Deaf Havana, saying he “feels at home here in London!”
‘Surfaced’ and ‘Space To Grow’ paved the way for two other fan favourites, ‘Reach For The Sun’ and ‘The Permanent Rain’, which had the crowd singing along. I was so fully present that it was hard to realise the set was almost over, with just a few songs left. ‘Northern Lights’, ‘This Is War’ and ‘Never Feel Alone’ concluded their set.
After a brief pause, it was time for Deaf Havana to take centre stage, with James Veck-Gilodi on guitar and singing duties, Matthew Veck-Gilodi on guitar and backing vocals, Kyle Deek on bass and James Porter on drums. The room was even more packed than before. It felt like a huge cloud of love and emotion was hanging over us, and you could tell we were all in for a magical night.
James Veck-Gilodi came on stage to loud cheers and started with ‘The Past Six Years’, which had the crowd cheering and singing from the very first note. The singalong didn’t stop there. The fans were a huge part of the night, belting out each song all the way through the set, a testament to how impactful and meaningful this album still is all these years later. ‘I Will Try’ and ‘Little White Lies’ continued to set the celebratory tone, with the crowd jumping so hard that the floor shook. Then came ‘Anemophobia’, ‘I’m A Bore Mostly’ and ‘Hunstanton Pier’.
James took the mic to say that, although he comes from Norfolk, London has always felt like home, so this was a hometown show for that very reason. He added that he finds it overwhelming and struggles to talk on stage, but that he felt very grateful and emotional to see fans coming out to support the band after all these years. The set went on with ‘Filthy Rotten Scoundrel’, ‘Times Change, Friends Leave And Life Doesn’t Stop For Anybody’ and ‘Leeches’. A very grateful James then spoke to the crowd again, saying how moving it is to sing songs he wrote in his bedroom at 18 years old, and that they still resonate with fans to this day.
The last three songs of the album were ‘The World or Nothing’, ‘Nelson’s County’ and ‘54’, but the night didn’t stop there. The band announced that there were more songs coming, and the fans erupted in a loud cheer. ‘Everybody Dancing and I Want To Die’ had fans jumping around and singing along, with another wave of crowd-surfers. The high energy carried on with ‘Fever’ and ‘22’ before the mood calmed with the intense and melancholic ‘Caro Padre’.
Emotions were running high and the crowd was shouting for more as the band thanked the fans and left the stage. Luckily for us, there were more treats in store: the encore. The band returned to the stage and brought out Sean Smith from The Blackout to sing the iconic ‘Friends Like These’ with James. The fans went crazy for this one, with everyone dancing around and chanting along, and it was easily one of the highlights of the night! The buzz continued with the anthemic ‘Smiles All Round’, which once again had fans reliving the early days of Deaf Havana. I was so lost in it, and so flooded with the memories and emotions of hearing these songs live, that the night seemed to end in no time with the soulful ‘Happiness’, another poignant moment where every single person in the room sang back word for word.
I can confidently say this was a hell of a night, especially if you’ve been a fan of Deaf Havana from the beginning like me and have witnessed the band’s growth throughout the years. It is clear that this tour was a celebration of resilience and strength, and of the band’s ability to evolve flawlessly while still staying true to themselves and remaining a solid presence in the British rock scene. Deaf Havana are here to stay, and I really look forward to seeing what’s in store for them next year.
I cannot begin to express how much it meant to me to hear the songs from FOOLS AND WORTHLESS LIARS after all these years. This is a generational album, and for those of us who are now in our mid-30s, it’s one you can just hit play on and let the emotions wash over you. The songs might be tied to different times of your life, and to different versions of you, but they still somehow resonate with the present version of you, and that is the magic of music.
It’s incredible how some tracks can still make your heart beat hundreds of times per minute, and even though it’s been 15 years since I first heard these songs, truthfully it felt like no time had passed at all.
Words by Mari D
Photos by Florelle Servageon
