Cigarettes After Sex Concert: Outstanding Moments in Amsterdam

On the 9th of November Cigarettes After Sex played a hypnotizing show in front of 6000 people in Amsterdam. For the second night in a row, they sold out AFAS Live and enchanted the audience with their dreamy alternative pop. 

The whole evening had a cinematic feel to it from beginning to end. I chose my seat on the balcony to watch the stage design and visuals from high up. Slowly the pit and seats beside me started to fill and anticipation was rising as half an hour before the show sepia film scenes started playing on stage accompanied by jazzy music. 

Taken into another world

The black and white aesthetic of Cigarettes After Sex is represented in their album covers, music videos and social media visuals. Somehow, they made the time at their concert feel like I dived into their black and white world. I felt so at ease and was totally spellbound by their performance and strong visual show. As soon as the three band members entered the stage the venue turned pitch black. The stage filled with smoke and spotlights slowly swayed with the captivating melodies. 

Moments that gave me goosebumps

The concert had some breath-taking moments that stood out to me and filled the whole room with emotions. “Dreaming of You” live sounded so different with the live instrumentals and hearing the guitar solo made it feel like I was experiencing hearing my favourite Cigarettes After Sex song for the very first time again. During “Sweet” there were some technical difficulties and the music and microphone cut out for a bit. A beautiful moment of unity happens as the fans sing the lyrics back loudly to the band. Most of the concert the crowd was silent and listening to the soothing voice of Greg Gonzalez but there was not a second of hesitation to carry the band through this little moment of uncertainty. When the sound came back the band thanked the crowd for their love. 

The Finale

As “Apocalypse” started playing an excited chatter breaks out until everyone listens in awe again. The dark venue with its few light beams suddenly turned into a starry night with dozens of lights dancing around the walls. A big mirrorball illuminates the room while the hypnotizing guitar riff plays on. I didn’t even notice how tears were slowly running down my face. The beauty and emotion of this moment is simply unexplainable. I am glad that I went into the evening without any spoilers so that the surprise of this performance really worked its magic on me. 

After this special moment the band apologised for technical issues during the song “Sweet”. To give everyone the full experience again they decided to play it one more time before the closing song. Fans sway their flashlights in excitement and support of the band and the second performance is flawless. As visuals in the background now transition into snow delicately falling from above, they announce their last song of the night. Opera house takes us into the bands world one last time and reminds me of sitting in a snow globe as time literally felt like it was standing still for the time spent at the concert. A beautiful ending for this very special evening. 

After-show feelings…

When I leave the venue, I feel so calm and full of bliss like I rarely experienced it after a show. The poetic lyrics and emotionally charged songs were captured in a performance out of the norm. Somehow Cigarettes After Sex achieved the intimate feeling of listening to their music in the darkness with rare light beams breaking through the fog, and I forgot everyone around me. I felt exactly the same way as when I listen to their music in late nights and get lost in thought. I admire how the band created this unique feeling of their aesthetic and sound in a live show. These memories are forever, and I know it will cross my mind now and then in a lovely night and put a smile on my face.