There is a paradox in the world of music: pleasing fans is seen, or seems to be, as something that is not always positive. Artists are successful, but they also become “slaves” to what pleases them, no matter how many decades pass. Among those who complain about “playing the same thing”, “in the same way” in a loop that is infernal to them, there are artists who appreciate the affection of their fans and do not seem to mind or try to surprise them. Artists like the late Michael Jackson, Prince or George Michael, performed shows where they played their hits as they wrote them. And among the groups still together, The Cure and Keane have successful tours and passionate shows precisely because they have established a great relationship with their audience.

Last week, to launch their first album in 16 years with new songs, Robert Smith and company did a live show on the BBC where they not only played the new album but also spent their usual three hours going through their entire collection of hits from 40 years ago, played exactly as they were written. This is not a sign of being stuck in time or laziness: it is authenticity and respect. In almost 20 years without releasing anything new, the band toured around the world revisiting old albums in full. The Cure hit two targets, pleasing those who already loved them and winning over new generations.

With half the time on the road, the band Keane follows this path. Formed in England in the late 1990s, Keane broke out in 2004 with a delightfully pop album called Hopes and Fears. It includes the now classics Somewhere Only We Know and Everybody’s Changing, which are mandatory at every show. On the twentieth anniversary of its release, the group once again came to Latin America, where its most passionate fan base is located. I’ve been going to Keane shows since they first landed in Brazil in 2007. In an exciting show lasting over two hours and a packed house, the band played songs requested by the audience, including a cover of Queen‘s Under Pressure and lesser-played songs like The Frog Prince and Snowed Under, as well as two others that weren’t on the set list.

Rehearsing speaking in Portuguese, vocalist Tom Chaplin, now thin and gray, is just as friendly and has the same power and reach as ever, stopping at times to talk and joke with the fans. Visibly emotional, he explained that the band had been on hiatus since 2013 – “because we lost our way, me more than anyone else”, referring to their victory over drug addiction, before continuing with Hamburg Song.

Exhausted at the end of the show, but still smiling and happy, Keane has established itself as one of the most beloved bands in Rio de Janeiro, one that still sells out every opportunity it gets in the city (not every band can do the same). And when he finally learned how the people from Rio de Janeiro call them “Quinê”, they laughed with amusement at the accent. “Is that how you say Keane in Brazil? You blew my mind!”, he joked. And yes, the chorus was loud: Olê, olê olê Olê, Quinê, Quinê. They’ll be back, they promised!

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