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Concert Review: Empyre / Harry Pane (St. Pancras Old Church, London - 20th February 2025)

Written: 21st February 2025


The rain is just holding off as the queue outside St. Pancras Old Church begins to form for the first Empyre gig of 2025. The intimate venue is the perfect place for the band to host two consecutive nights presenting their acoustic show. As the crowd enters the church, there is already a friendly ambience which reflects the nature of the band’s relationship with their fans.


I first became aware of support act Harry Pane when I saw him in the same role with Marillion on their With Friends From The Orchestra tour in 2019. Pane takes the stage with just his instrument and a sample pad that adds occasional bass drum accompaniment to his heartfelt songs. Opening with Real Souls from his 2017 EP The Wild Winds, he immediately captivates the audience with his supremely dextrous finger picking style that serves as the backdrop for the intelligent lyrics and stories of everyday life. Harry Pane is an unassuming and modest player whose relaxed interactions with the audience allow us to warm to him with ease. Beautiful Life, an exquisite piece of songwriting, effuses with a poignant yet euphoric exploration of the highs and lows of life with the lyrics oscillating between jubilation and tribulation.


Fletcher Bay, named after a location in New Zealand, is a delightfully upbeat but profound tribute to his late father. His own compositions allow him to display his wide range of techniques on the guitar; he jokingly comments himself that he is, “all over the place” in regard to his style. The blues-laden verve of Mamma finds Pane utilising a guitar slide amongst the slightly more belligerent attitude of the song. Covers of The Galway Farmer by Show of Hands and a fantastic version of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love (it takes a special kind of player to tackle the latter of these) add further variety to an excellent set. Speaking with him after the gig, he asks how it sounded as regard the acoustics because he could not get a proper impression from his onstage position. I reassure him that he more than managed to fill the venue with his voice and playing, and the queue of people wanting to speak to him or buy his EP after the gig clearly validated both mine and their appreciation of his set. Like the band that are about to follow him, Pane should be known much more widely.


Empyre have become adept at playing acoustic gigs over the last few years, something that has its roots in their album The Other Side. Featuring acoustic versions of the vast majority of songs from their debut album Self Aware, The Other Side was a way of the band being able to release music during the COVID pandemic. Initially planned to be an EP, it became a bigger project. During my recent interview with lead singer Henrik Steenholdt (read it here), he said of the acoustic side to the band, “It is a nice way of filling some gaps and we also see it as something that adds an additional string to our bow in terms of gig opportunities and festival opportunities. At a few festivals, we've managed to play an acoustic set and an electric set.”


Simple but effective lighting bathes the stage as Empyre take their places and begin their set with a rousing version of Relentless, the title track of their second album. Frontman Henrik Steenholdt instantly entrances the crowd with his powerful and unique voice, effortlessly taking command of the stage. Acoustic gigs are always fascinating for discovering the origins of any song, and the arrangements that Empyre present tonight show just how well written their material is. Different subtleties come to the fore in these arrangements than those of their electric counterparts. One such example is when Did Coles plays the keyboards creating further layers of emotion during My Bad, a song among many that showcase the sombre, introspection of some of Empyre’s tracks. These sit in counterbalance to their more defiant moments, such as Relentless.


Unsurprisingly, the bulk of the set is drawn from The Other Side with four songs from Relentless also being aired. Each of the songs has its own special resonance and fans could debate their own personal highlights. The songs that hit home the most for me are Too Close and Forget Me, the latter a contender for the best song they have ever written, full of brooding atmosphere. When I interviewed Henrik, he mentioned how proud he was that Only Way Out has been a firm fan favourite and it does indeed receive a fantastic ovation.


Watching Empyre, it would be easy to focus your attention on their frontman such is the singular textures, hues and potency of his voice. However, the delicate nuances of the performance show just how vital all four members are to this band. Did Coles is a wonderful guitarist conjuring a range of sounds from hauntingly delicate to robustly resonant. Grant Hockley is an understated bassist in this context but he provides a vital presence that brings a sonorous richness to the band, forging a great partnership with extremely dependable drummer Elliot Bale. The acoustics of the building work in Empyre’s favour for the most part. Although at one point when Henrik asks the audience if we are enjoying it, a couple of fans mention the drums being a little loud. However, as the singer replies, there is little that can be done about this in a building constructed and shaped as it is. While there are a couple of moments where the drums do appear a little stark, these are few and far between and certainly do not mar the evening in any way.


Small, shared snippets of information about different songs also add to the fun including the anecdote about bassist Grant Hockley sending his opening riff for Your Whole Life Slows to the rest of the band. Steenholdt relays how Hockley’s washing machine could be heard in the background and sounds echoing that of a slowing spin cycle were woven into the song’s introduction. The band also mention their earliest days when Did jokingly says, “Here is another original,” as they play a dynamic cover of Titanium, a song that he and Henrik used to play in their days in a covers band. Drive harks back to the earliest days of Empyre and Hit and Run - the last track from Relentless to be played tonight - brings us up to date. Hit and Run exudes a different aura in its acoustic form, the reflective nature of much of the lyrics becoming even more apparent.


Another important element of Empyre live is the wonderful relationship they have with their fans. Their self-deprecating humour can be a surprise to the uninitiated, several of which are in tonight’s audience. A band that deserve to be far bigger than they currently are, they are a good natured, friendly quartet that, as shown by Steenholdt's onstage comments, truly value each and every person that attends their gigs, buys their albums or even shows an interest in their music. They give each member of the audience a signed, commemorative, double sided poster (above) as a thank you for selling out these two nights in the capital. After the gig, they spend time talking with fans, signing albums and having photos.


Empyre create a palpable magic when they play and the venue, small and intimate, becomes a sanctuary of sound where all other concerns and thoughts cease to exist. Throughout, the audience was captivated, sat in rapt silence, respectful to the occasion, the music and each other. They have the songs and talent to be a huge band and one can only hope that they begin to attract the wider audience they richly deserve. For now, those of us who follow this formidable quartet can revel in the fact that we are able to see them in such cosy surroundings. I look forward to seeing them again in a different environment and guise when they play an electric set supporting Ricky Warwick in Milton Keynes in two weeks time.


They also play a headline electric tour in April and May (information below).


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