Cool blue washes rolled across the stage before the first chords settled in. The lighting was expansive rather than intricate, built to support songs that carried their own weight. Richard Ashcroft stood forward of the band, holding the space with minimal movement and steady focus.

Photographing the set meant working with long sightlines and measured pacing. As a UK live music photographer, I focused on moments where gesture met lyric, and on the scale of the stage against the crowd beyond the barrier.

The atmosphere was reflective but assured, with the audience singing back almost as loudly as the PA.