City & Colour: A Love Letter to Fans at Royal Albert Hall, London
Ellie Archer | May 19th, 2025
~5,000 guests. An iconic venue. 20 years of ‘Sometimes’, One man, his guitar, and his close friend, Matt Kelly
There are few people alive with the ability to headline the Royal Albert Hall; to do so alone, without any of the bells and whistles associated with the venue, is uniquely City and Colour.
For 20 years, Dallas Green (Alexisonfire, You+Me) has been channelling his heart through music, leaving his wildest vulnerabilities and emotions exposed for the world to see.
This show was not just a celebration of 20 years of ‘Sometimes’; it was Dallas’ love letter to those who have shared this journey with him.
In October 2022, I had the opportunity to meet Dallas after their incredible headline performance in Manchester. Some people say you should never meet your heroes, and if you’re thinking what does this have to do with the Royal Albert Hall, keep reading because context is key, Dallas was singlehandedly the greatest person I have ever met. He met every fan, embraced them, welcoming them like a long-lost family member, and I was no exception.
Stumbling over my words, unable to gather my thoughts, I managed to try and explain to Dallas what his music had done for me over the years. With gratitude and pure admiration in his eyes, he listened patiently, looked me in the eye, took my hand and thanked me. He thanked me, and every fan that has ever listened to his music as, and I quote, “I can’t do what I do without the support I get”. I couldn’t contain my emotions – my hero was stood outside of Manchester Academy thanking ME! Being the sensitive Cancerian that I am, I started to well up. Noticing this, Dallas asked permission to hug me and spent a full minute hugging me.
This is the kind of man that Dallas is. And last night, was the love letter every City and Colour fan could ever dream of, and it was evident throughout the gig that fame and fortune hasn’t changed him.
After the ‘Sometimes’ set, and with never ending tears, the second set brought about many surprises, and left me on tenterhooks wondering if ‘Against the Grain’ was going to be played… it didn’t (thankfully). If you’d allow me a moment for vulnerability, in August last year, I played this song for my father who was in end-of-life care, writhing in agony and unable to settle. I turned to the one person who has been able to comfort me in times of need, and so the last piece of music he ever heard was ‘Against The Grain’. With a tear rolling down his face, he shortly lost consciousness for the last time. So, you can understand why emotions were running high… as if they couldn’t run any higher.
Any long-time fan can pick out the underlying themes around death, sadness, loss and growing older; something that resonates with all of us as we’ve grown with Dallas. I first saw City and Colour in June 2010 at Kentish Forum, when Dallas was a fresh-faced musician in a plaid shirt and rimmed glasses – just one man, his guitar and a full heart. To see Dallas fifteen years later, it is evident that those themes are as prominent now as they have ever been but there’s now acceptance and peace.
There was a clear distinction between who City and Colour were 20 years ago, 10 years ago, and presently. Explained perfectly by Dallas who shared that he didn’t connect with some of the older songs as much as he did when he wrote them in his parents’ basement. With uncanny dry wit and humour befitting the British venue, Dallas harkened back to being a ‘dumb kid’ who would find interesting ways of tuning his guitar and then forgetting what he had done to recreate the songs after so much time had passed.
Something none of us expected, was the first ever performance of ‘Rain’, which was outstandingly beautiful. Anyone who has been to a City and Colour show before, will be used to the ‘Rain When I Die’ or ‘Nutshell’ covers, but this was a punch in the heart to anyone that has been a longtime fan.
Somehow, words are unable to capture just how special this show was. From a crowd so silent with anticipation and respect that you could hear a pin drop, to a crowd screaming the lyrics to ‘The Girl’, this was just as special to Dallas as it was to them. Matt Kelly got a Happy Birthday singalong from the crowd as Dallas looked on with pride and admiration for his friend, and it wouldn’t be a City and Colour show without an homage to Matt Kelly.
Thank you, Dallas.
Love, London x
About the Author
Ellie Archer
She/Her
City & Colour Fan Girl, Vinted Queen, Dog Mom. Never one to accept the word ‘no’, she fought her way into an Industry built for boomers and those with unshakable loyalty to the resistance of change. Let’s shake shit up and have fun whilst we do it.
