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