A screenshot via Niall's live stream at Royal Albert Hall
If you’ve ever been to a Niall Horan show — you know there’s one word to best describe them: intimate.
Rest assured, this is no different in the era of live-streamed concerts becoming the norm. Niall’s charity show at Royal Albert Hall in London — a tribute to his live music crew, and specifically crew that was meant to be working on Niall’s tour this year — was beautiful.
It wasn’t just because of the admittedly gorgeous venue, and despite not being in front of him — it still felt like a Niall Horan show. The energy, something that isn’t easy to replicate without the help of a live audience, was the same if not better. For all intents and purposes, Niall was excited to be there — to shine a light on an integral part touring crew plays in the music industry and how this pandemic has affected them. But he also seemed to be more comfortable with his stage presence, dancing along with his tunes.
Niall played a 14-song set, including a surprise collab with Ashe on the song ‘Moral of the Story.’ The setlist was a mix of songs from Heartbreak Weather and from Flicker. There were ballads like ‘Put A Little Love On Me’ and energetic songs alike, such as ‘Small Talk.’
But perhaps the most poignant song and performance of the night was the final one — ‘Flicker’ was stripped down, as the crew Niall did this concert for took care of the instruments around him, and did the work they always do — reminding fans and artists alike who is responsible for making sure the shows they love run seamlessly. After the song was completed, Niall stood and joined them for a group shot.
Niall sold 120,000 tickets to the show, and ultimately raised around $2.4 million. You can learn more about the We Need Crew initiative and donate here. Niall is also selling exclusive merch for this show here.