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Blog #1135

Hans Zimmer Live - 6/14/2023

Our only solid plan for today was the Hans Zimmer concert this evening.  So, Sarah found a few places around London that we hadn't yet been to.


We headed out this morning on bus to Shoreditch.  For breakfast we ate at Dishoom.


Dishoom

Next, we walked towards London's financial district and the City of London.  We came across the Lloyds of London building which I instantly recognized by its distinct modern architecture.  The building was designed by architect Richard Rogers, took eight years to build and was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 1986.  The idea is that the building was designed "inside-out", with the services for the building, such as ducts and elevators, located on the exterior to maximize space of the interior.


Lloyds of London

Lloyds of London

Literally, right around the corner was Leadenhall Market.  It is one of the oldest markets in London, dating from the 14th century, and is located in the historic center of the City of London financial district.  A few scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone were shot here.


Leadenhall Market

Leadenhall Market

Click here to see all of my photos of Leadenhall Market.


Then walking through the banking district, Sarah came up with another idea.  We hopped onto the Tube and headed to Kensington Palace.  It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century, and is presently the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.


Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace

Click here to see my pictures of Kensington Palace.


Next, we headed back to our hotel to rest and freshen up for this evening’s event.  To do this, part of our journey was on the Elizabeth Line.  It was our first trip on this new and much talked about line.


Elizabeth Line

We were ready to set out on our evening on the town.  First up was dinner at Eataly in the City of London.


Eataly

Eataly

We arrived at the O2 well before showtime.  Once into the huge fabric dome, I discovered that the arena doesn't occupy the entire space under the dome.  Rather it has the arena at the center and is surrounded by a circular shopping mall, including bars and a movie cinema.  Nevertheless, the arena it still the has the second-highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the United Kingdom, behind the Manchester Arena.


The O2

The O2

Hans Zimmer Live started at 7:30 and this epic orchestral pop concert was amazing.  A musical spectacle melding arrangements of his vast film score catalog with the powerful sound of a rock band.


Hans Zimmer Live

The first set included House Atreides (Dune), Mombasa (Inception), Themyscira/Games/Open Road (Wonder Woman 1984), What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?/If You Love These People (Man of Steel), Duduk of the North/The Might of Rome/The Battle/Earth/Honor Him/Now We Are Free (Gladiator), and Jack Sparrow/Davy Jones/At Wit's End/He's a Pirate (Pirates of the Caribbean).


Hans Zimmer Live

After intermission the second set included Top Gun Anthem (Top Gun: Maverick), A Way of Life (The Last Samurai), I'm Not a Hero/Like a Dog Chasing Cars/Why So Serious? (The Dark Knight), X-MDP (Dark Phoenix), Supermarine (Dunkirk), Paul's Dream (Dune), Day One/Murph/Coward/Stay (Interstellar), and Circle of Life/He Lives in You/This Land/King of Pride Rock (The Lion King).


Hans Zimmer Live

The encore began with Gun Barrel/Cuba Chase/Back to MI6 (No Time To Die), which I loved being that we were in London. And the final selection was Time (Inception).


Hans Zimmer Live

Click here to see all of my photos of Hans Zimmer.


The show ran until 10:45 and both of us loved every minute of it.  The lights and sound were amazing.  And the bass during The Dark Knight was ground shaking.  What a truly great concert.


After the concert, there was a massive crowd of people headed to the subway.  But TFL managed it well, even if we were packed in like sardines.


Tomorrow, Sarah and I are off to the English countryside to visit the legendary amusement park in Alton Towers.


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