The Fray celebrate 20th Anniversary of ‘How to Save a Life’
The Colorado three-piece delivered a nostalgic set at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Photo: Billie Wheeler
Soft rock band The Fray were once a staple on nearly everyone’s playlists, and with defining hits such as How to Save a Life and Over My Head (Cable Car), their music became synonymous with the emotional landscape of the era.
On Wednesday night, they brought that nostalgia to Shepherd’s Bush Empire for the 20th-anniversary tour of their debut album, How to Save a Life. Though two decades have passed, the band seem newly energised, buoyed by a return to songwriting and a set of fresh tracks, including their new album Songs I’d Rather Not Sing, released yesterday.
The evening began with an emotive set from St Lundi, whose soft-edged rock warmed up the crowd and primed them for a night steeped in feeling. When The Fray finally stepped onstage, they opened with She Is, a romantic, understated track that immediately had the crowd swaying and singing, with its nostalgic warmth washing over the venue. The band moved seamlessly into All at Once, before pausing to introduce themselves, though the roaring reaction from the entire venue made it clear that formal introductions were hardly necessary.
What followed was Look After You, one of their most tender and heart-wrenching ballads, and a song more than capable of bringing even the toughest concertgoer to tears. Under the golden stage lights of Shepherd’s Bush Empire, the track unfolded with raw vulnerability, reminding the audience why The Fray’s emotional storytelling has resonated so deeply for so long.
Then came the centrepiece of the night: a full, start-to-finish performance of their iconic debut album. It’s rare for a band to perform an album in full and even rarer for it to feel as fresh as it did here. Tracks such as Fall Away, Little House, and Trust Me were delivered with a confidence and clarity shaped by twenty years of performing and the crowd hung onto every note, aware of how formative these songs once were.
The undeniable high point, unsurprisingly, was How to Save a Life itself. As soon as the opening piano line echoed through the room, the audience erupted in cheers. The song that catapulted The Fray to worldwide acclaim and earned them a place in Spotify’s “Billion Club” was sung back at them with a unifying intensity few tracks ever command. The same energy carried into Over My Head (Cable Car), the breakthrough hit that first thrust them into the spotlight. Other favourites from the album, including Vienna, Heaven Forbid, and Dead Wrong, received equally enthusiastic responses, each track carrying the weight of two decades of shared listening.
After the nostalgia-soaked section, the band shifted into the present with My Heart’s a Crowded Room, a new release marking their return to fresh material after twelve years. Though they introduced it with visible nerves, the crowd embraced the song wholeheartedly, reaffirming that The Fray’s emotional sincerity transcends eras.
Selections from later albums followed, including Hurricane and Heartbeat from Helios and Scars & Stories. During Heartbeat, lead singer Joe King leapt into the crowd to hand out roses, a gesture that sent excited ripples through the venue and perfectly captured the romantic spirit of the band’s catalogue.
A beautifully delivered cover of Dreams by The Cranberries highlighted the group’s vocal strength and emotional range, before they eased into Syndicate and the devastating You Found Me, during which King himself appeared visibly moved.
Though they briefly exited the stage, the crowd wasn’t ready to let go. Their cheers brought The Fray back for a two-song encore featuring their brand-new Songs I’d Rather Not Sing and the beloved Never Say Never.
Twenty years on, The Fray have proved that time only deepens true artistry. Their performance at The Empire was not just a concert but a collective return to the melodies that defined a generation.
All photos by Billie Wheeler.