The Cardigans live at Hammersmith Apollo (27.6.2026) with Esther supporting.
Swedish popsters, The Cardigans, are in London for one night only, as part of their European tour. The timing is unfortunate as it clashes with one of England’s World Cup group matches. No worries: they have brought the show forward to accommodate supporters, with doors open at 5pm. Having got in with gig buddy Dave, both in our England shirts, I don’t think many in the building would have minded missing the game. I saw just one other England shirt. Lots of nice dresses and sensible clothes and no football attire. Can’t help noticing the proudly undyed grey hair of so many presumably Scandinavian women. Grey-haired gig goers forever!
We are up in the huge Apollo balcony that hangs down over the standing downstairs crowd. It’s an impressive place and still one of my favourite venues.
Supporting this early evening is Esther (Lennstrand), also Swedish and a multi-instrumentalist who is singing and tonight playing what appears to be a xylophone…not an ironing board, no.
Unmistakably Scandinavian and a voice sounding a bit Bjork at times. I see she often sings through a vibraphone and I’m not sure if this is was she is doing or not – I am a fair way back.
The Cardigans arrive on stage at 7.10pm. Occasional are latecomers clearly bemused an flustered by the early start.
I wasn’t sure I would know many Cardigans’ songs. I’ve been listening to their fourth LP recently by way of revision, Gran Turismo, from 1998. They play four tracks from this one and there are seven from the 2003 LP, Long Gone Before Daylight.
The band formed in 1992 and are mostly unchanged since, having had a break 2006-2012. The only non-original member is guitarist Oskar Humlebo. We are 25 years on from their big time but that’s way off the 40 or 50 year histories I’ve been seeing with some old bands.
Lead singer is Nina Persson. Gracious, calm and polite as she introduces the songs. She plays a melodica at one point – not something you see often. Peter Hook is a an occasional user.
Many songs I know I’ve heard and some I haven’t but they are an easy listen. There are a couple of covers in there: the Talking Heads’ Burning Down The House – excellent – and Iron Man by Black Sabbath. Bit of a surprise that one but perhaps not to the majority of the audience.
The crowd reaction is huge and warm, but not wild. It’s sheer enthusiasm and love of the tunes. A big deep supportive cheer greets the end of many songs and not many more so than for Erase/ Rewind* which I videoed from my elevated position, with zoom. (*links to my YouTube channel.)
The time rattles by. This is one of the purest pop bands I have seen in a long time, I guess. Nina is apologetic about the early start. She said she isn’t going to watch the football – I could almost imagine her using the term ‘bloody football’ but she held back – she’s pleased we can though. She understands.
It’s not long after 8.30pm and The Cardigans finish their set with the big one: My Favourite Game. They can’t leave it at that, football or no football. There is one encore of 03.35: No Sleep.
We exit and turn right and down Fulham Palace Road, stopping in The Duke of Cornwall to watch an eventual two goal win for England, against a resilient Panama. Maybe this is the year eh. 🏴
Gigs with Ivan 