Creeper have always had a love of the theatrics. From the ever-growing storytime narrative that they’ve carried through two EPs and an album to its real world magic of callous heart patches, treasure hunts and community, it’s that flair that’s seen them get away with more than most.
Tonight, as they bring their Theatre of Fear to Shepherd’s Bush Empire for their biggest headline show yet, the band continue to push at what they’re allowed to do. There are actors carrying stark warnings and a giant stranger with lightbeam eyes watching over them as fiction becomes reality.
The drama doesn’t stop there either. The band move about the stage with purpose, every instrument with a story to tell, every song important in fleshing out this half dreaming space. Will flourishes in the spotlight, deliberate with delivery and almost always catching the microphone as he tosses it about the place but he’s not the only star in this spinning constellation. Since she joined, Hannah has taken Creeper to new, unexplored places and tonight, ‘Crickets’ shudders with an almighty might but it’s ‘Darling’ that sees all the pieces come together as both her and Will twirl about the stage, trading blows and grins as stars align.
Every track from ‘Eternity, In Your Arms’ is played tonight, and there’s not a single moment that doesn’t sparkle. Rich, diverse and mesmerising, from the roar of ‘Black Rain’, through the crunch of ‘Poison Pens’ until the ever-shuffling ‘Room 309’, furious one moment, full of despair the next, Creeper make every twisting challenge look comfortable. ‘I Choose To Live’ and ‘Misery’ tell two sides of the same story, united in the belief that there’s always a choice.
As much as Creeper is about performance and storytelling, it’s held together with real world emotion. The struggles, the heartache and the confusion that drives their narrative forward is a reflection of things we’ve all gone through. It’s why, no matter how over the top, silly or daring Creeper get, their music will offer hope. Tonight, that’s the real star of the show.
Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett