Just last night (September 30) Rex Orange County fans were surprised with doubly good news: a live EP and a documentary of his Pony tour, cut short earlier this year. The EP is taken from the recordings of his show at Radio City Music Hall, New York, and it is accompanied by a twenty-five minute film of the UK, American and European legs of the tour, life on the road, and the stark impact of the pandemic on Rex (real name: Alexander O’Connor)’s touring lifestyle. For those who have fallen in love with him, whether from his early Soundcloud days, or from 2019’s Pony, this will only endear them to the young artist that much more.
For fans, the EP will no doubt be forty-five special minutes, whether you were at the Radio City Music Hall concert or not. It has all the thrill of live music and all the intimacy that Rex Orange County is so good at cultivating. In the midst of it all, right as ‘Best Friend’ is about to take off, he asks that everyone put their phones away because “anyone that didn’t come into this venue will have no clue – this moment is just for me and you!”
View this post on InstagramREX ORANGE COUNTY LIVE AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL – LIVE ALBUM out tomorrow 12pm ET / 5pm BST
In addition to the EP, Funny How Things Go From One Thing To Another is wonderfully introspective. At 25 minutes it’s not particularly long (by the standard of this kind of thing!), and the footage largely speaks for itself. Rex voices over occasionally, but there are no words needed to explain the atmosphere of the tour. We get this anyway from footage of the stage being prepared, of thousands of pieces of colourful confetti being sifted, of fans queuing for hours and hours before the gig starts, and of an endless string of intimate moments. Rex Orange County and his band are always hugging, and there is no doubt that every member of the tour is supported through everything.
And likewise, he is polite and respectful but also generous and tactile with his fans. Throughout the documentary, he speaks about making the gig environment inclusive and comfortable. You can tell that it works as you see fans dancing away or falling to the floor in delight when the house lights come up. Rex Orange County understands this: “I’m just like them, them and their friends and parents and everyone they know.”
So when the pandemic strikes off the last few dates of the tour, Rex Orange County is evidently gutted – for a number of reasons. He is part of an industry that has come to a standstill, and the tragedy of losing live music has been expressed in so many ways since March. But what Rex says is this: “there was no hugging or any contact.”
For some, a socially distanced return to touring and fan interaction is viable and indeed welcome. For Rex Orange County, it’s very clear that this would entirely contradict the ethos of a Rex Orange County gig, a Rex Orange County tour or even a Rex Orange County pop up shop. Everything that contributes to the Rex Orange County experience is warm and intimate and personal. The first thing he does when he gets on stage is head straight for the crowd.
The combination of the EP and the documentary show a young, vulnerable male artist. It’s rare to find someone so authentic – and so generous, with their energy and their emotions. Rex Orange County is certainly riding a peak of his career, but this won’t be the last. He just has too much to give, to his band, to his industry and to his fans.
