THE DAVID ARNOLD JAMES BOND THEMED CONCERT SPECTACULAR
Music composed by David Arnold
Music conducted by Tim Hynd
Vocals, keyboard and guitar by David Arnold
Female vocals: Kerry Schultz
Male vocals: Matt Walker
Musical director/Manager: Warren Ringham
Hosted by David Zaritsky
November 1, 2026
London Palladium
London, England
(full musician credits can be found below in part 3)
PART 1: BY AND FOR THE FANS
“Q The Music” presents the David Arnold James Bond Themed Concert Spectacular.
“Q The Music” you say? Who or WHAT is that?
Q The Music is a highly accomplished cover band performing the very best music from the James Bond series. And this is not just the iconic title songs, but also the instrumental score cues by the likes of John Barry, David Arnold, Bill Conti, Marvin Hamlisch, and more.
Despite wanting to see them perform for the longest time, I just never had the chance until recently when they came to the London Palladium for their David Arnold tribute concert.
Needless to say, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the quality, musicianship and passion of the musicians and its musical director and founder, Warren Ringham.
An even bigger revelation is that I realized that Q The Music is more than just an accomplished cover band – as Bond fans themselves, they always try to deliver not only the best possible experience for their fellow fans, but also musical arrangements that are as close to the originals as possible. There are simply no other bands or orchestras out there doing this for Bond music at such a high level, which is what makes Q The Music so special.
PART 2: A CONCERT SPECTACULAR
November 1, 2026 saw Q The Music perform a concert of David Arnold’s greatest Bond music from his feature film scores all the way to the title song he wrote for the recent Bond video game, 007 FIRST LIGHT.
Featuring a 60-plus piece orchestra headlined by soloists, vocalists, synths and David Arnold himself performing vocals and guitar, the evening was hosted with panache and authority by David Zaritsky, who interviewed Arnold between select pieces on the setlist to illuminate the audience on the music and how it came to be.
And speaking of that setlist, check this out:
– THE FIRST HALF –
- CASINO ROYALE: The Name’s Bond… James Bond
- THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH: Come in 007, Your Time is Up
- TOMORROW NEVER DIES: Paris and Bond
- TOMORROW NEVER DIES: Hamburg Break In
- TOMORROW NEVER DIES: Backseat Driver
- THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH: The World is not Enough
- THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH: Snow Business
- THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH: Ice Bandits
- THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH: Only Myself to Blame
- 007 FIRST LIGHT: First Light
- TOMORROW NEVER DIES: Surrender
– THE SECOND HALF –
- DIE ANOTHER DAY: Welcome to Cuba
- DIE ANOTHER DAY: Ice Palace Car Chase
- DIE ANOTHER DAY: Going Down Together
- CASINO ROYALE: African Rundown
- CASINO ROYALE: Dinner Jackets
- CASINO ROYALE: City of Lovers
- CASINO ROYALE: Miami International
- SHIRLEY BASSEY – THE PERFORMANCE: No Good About Goodbye
- QUANTUM OF SOLACE: Night at the Opera
- SHAKEN AND STIRRED: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
– ENCORE –
- CASINO ROYALE: You Know My Name
A handful of pieces were receiving their world premiere performances in concert, with the sensational “African Showdown” from CASINO ROYALE bringing the house down.
The encore was a knockout performance of “You Know My Name” that featured Arnold on vocals with support from vocalists Kerry Schultz and Matt Walker.
PART 3: SCORES, SOUND AND SOLOISTS
As Warren Ringham mentions in the programme notes, this concert had been eighteen months in the making, with Arnold providing his original score manuscripts to Ringham to help create the final arrangements of the music.
Given this huge advantage, the arrangements on the night sounded spot on. Even the pieces featuring synthesizers were seamlessly integrated with the orchestra, sounding fresh, organic and very, very cool.
Speaking of the sound, it was excellent for the most part, especially the parts featuring electronics and drum kit which sounded sensational live.
Another thing that I particularly liked about the show is how soloists would march themselves centre stage for a solo, so it was great seeing trumpets and trombones getting the spotlight.
In any case, everyone on (and behind) stage was a star, proving to all that Q The Music is more than just a cover band.
PART 4: THE FIRST HALF
CASINO ROYALE
– The Name’s Bond… James Bond
The concert got off to a bang with a sensational performance of “The Name’s Bond, James Bond,” a piece introducing the Bond theme in one of the coolest arrangements you’ll ever hear.
But the cool level immediately jumped a few notches when David Arnold himself, armed with guitar and a large helping of charm, graced the stage to play that iconic Bond lick.
What a way to open the concert!
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
– Come in 007, Your Time is Up
Next up was a rip-roaring performance of the exciting “Come in 007, Your Time is Up,” with Lee Aaron on drum kit powering the piece forward with the might of a steam train.
TOMORROW NEVER DIES
– Paris and Bond
– Hamburg Break In
– Backseat Driver
The dark romance of “Paris and Bond” followed with a gorgeous performance featuring flute, strings and aching horns to highlight the tragic aspect of the theme.
Next came the electronic-heavy suspense cue “Hamburg Break In,” with drum kit again stealing the show with an infectious groove.
It was now time for the sensational “Backseat Driver,” which host Zaritsky described as being “responsible for more speeding tickets than Ferrari.”
After explaining that “Backstreet Driver” was an homage to his and the Propellerheads’ own arrangement of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” from the album SHAKEN AND STIRRED, Arnold and band proceeded to thrill the audience with a head-bangingly cool take on the piece.
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
– The World is not Enough
– Snow Business
– Ice Bandits
– Only Myself to Blame
The title song from THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH would be the first “Bond song” for the night with vocalist Kerry Schultz taking on the part originally sung by the American-Scottish rock band, Garbage. Here she delivered an impassioned performance of the song with electric guitar adding to the mood of the piece.
Next came two score cues starting with “Snow Business,” a gorgeous love theme with more than a hint of that signature romantic John Barry sound. Brass was a bit rough during this piece, but later recovered as the piece transitioned to the exciting action set piece, “Ice Bandits.”
Concluding the selections from THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH was the sublime “Only Myself to Blame,” with Arnold himself on vocals with muted trumpet performed exquisitely by Warren Ringham.
This smoky piece full of beauty and regret was a real stunner, reminding us all how great a vocalist Arnold is.
007 FIRST LIGHT
– First Light
We were then treated to a very special performance of the song “First Light” from the 2026 James Bond video game of the same name.
Despite Arnold not ever having played the game, the song he wrote is sensational and perfectly embodies everything I love about James Bond title songs: danger, romanticism and intrigue wrapped in a killer theme. I just love this new song to bits, and the performance by vocalists Schultz and Matt Walker was right on the money.
(now make the world right and put this out on CD!)
TOMORROW NEVER DIES
– Surrender
The first half came to a close with a performance of “Surrender” from TOMORROW NEVER DIES by vocalist Schultz.
The phrasing of the lyrics could have been a bit tighter, but otherwise, it was a great piece to hear live.
PART 5: THE SECOND HALF
DIE ANOTHER DAY
– Welcome to Cuba
– Ice Palace Car Chase
– Going Down Together
What a way to kick off the second half!
Starting with a short percussion introduction, the piece then exploded into high gear with that iconic opening piano phrase and phat brass jabs. When trumpeter Mark Upton took to the stage, he immediately commanded the audience’s attention with a killer solo that sounded as good – if not better – as the original recording. Jez Davies, who was on fire the whole night, starred next on keyboards, followed by a terrific turn at the trombone by Nick West to push that festive Cuban beat along. Upton and West then came together to give the piece a stellar finish.
Before the next two score pieces from DIE ANOTHER DAY were performed, Arnold humored the audience by stating that in being away from Bond and “staying home and drinking tea” for the last fifteen years, people have reevaluated his work to the point that he has now become “legendary.” No disagreements there!
And with that came the exciting action set piece “Ice Palace Car Chase,” which featured catchy variations of the Bond theme.
This was followed by the gorgeous “Going Down Together,” a classic Arnold love theme that was way too good for the film it was written for. And that uplifting ending making you think that Bond has finally found true happiness? Pure ecstasy.
CASINO ROYALE
– African Rundown
– Dinner Jackets
– City of Lovers
– Miami International
Next came the world premiere performance of the stupendous action extravaganza, “African Rundown” from CASINO ROYALE. Performed with furious urgency, the piece featured some of that iconic Bondian brass as well as Arnold himself on percussion. Hats off to conductor Tim Hynd for keeping this chaotic piece on point!
For a change of pace, the slightly melancholy “Dinner Jackets” followed with a lovely piano solo and a classic statement of the “You Know My Name” theme.
It was now time for “City of Lovers” to shine, the bright and uplifting love theme for Bond and Vesper. The mood was later upended as tiny shades of melancholy filtered through the piece before ending on a cautiously optimistic note.
“Miami International” was another one to receive its world premiere concert performance with a lengthy piece full of nail-biting suspense and action. While it could have been trimmed in length a bit, it was still a great pleasure hearing live.
SHIRLEY BASSEY: THE PERFORMANCE
– No Good About Goodbye
“No Good About Goodbye” would have to be my favourite Arnold song ever. It evokes so many feelings that I just can’t describe it, so let me cheat here and tell you to just watch this YouTube video of Arnold performing the piece solo:
Great isn’t it?
When I first heard this song years ago on the Shirley Bassey album, THE PERFORMANCE, I suspected it had been written for QUANTUM OF SOLACE but just couldn’t find any information online confirming it at the time (note: I’m sure people knew about it – just not me!). Well, Arnold himself confirmed it at the concert by stating that he had started working on a song during QUANTUM with Amy Winehouse but could not complete it due to her failing health. He continued working on it with Mark Ronson on bits and pieces, but in the end only had chords and ideas with no lyrics or chorus. The song was later resurrected and completed for the Bassey album, with lyrics added by the legendary Don Black, who has worked with Arnold (and John Barry) a number of times on Bond songs and more.
Truth be told, I have always preferred Arnold’s rendition of the song to Bassey’s, and I was absolutely ecstatic when he perched himself behind the keyboard for a stunning solo performance of the song.
All we need now is an official recording of that song (as well as a few others with Arnold doing the vocals!).
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
– Night at the Opera
With barely a moment to recover, “Night at the Opera” came next, a shimmering and mysterious piece featuring a mean brass part hiding in the shadows.
SHAKEN AND STIRRED
– On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
For the next piece, which was a cover of some of John Barry’s instrumental Bond music, Arnold introduced a very special guest on stage: Alex Gifford from Propellerheads, who had provided the electronic sounds on the original cover recording.
After some fun onstage banter, we were off to the races with that iconic Barry opening and a hypnotic beat played by synth morse code. As electronics continued to colour the piece and drive it forward, a fantastic drum kit-led take on “Capsule in Space” made a welcome appearance. By this point I could not help but grin – this was big and ballsy music sounding as cool as cool could be.
CASINO ROYALE
– You Know My Name
Arnold had one last ace up his sleeve with a thrilling vocal performance of “You Know My Name” from CASINO ROYALE.
On Nov. 1, David Arnold and Q The Music delivered a thrilling night of music from Bond, James Bond. My humble concert review: https://t.co/1kTY3Rg4BX #davidarnold #qthemusic #JamesBond #casinoroyale #youknowmyname https://t.co/cRHOEBJvC1
— soundtracks-in-concert.com (@ifmcd) November 6, 2026
What made this performance particularly memorable was not only the support of the two vocalists, but also a wicked electric guitar solo by Dan Booth.
The piece ended with the vocalists chanting “You Know My Name” into a tremendous climax, wrapping up an incredible and unforgettable night with David Arnold and Q The Music.
PART 6: A SPECTACULAR CONCERT
While I do like the Bond films, I don’t really know them in detail enough to be able to tie the music to specific scenes – instead, I simply like to listen to and enjoy the music as a standalone piece. It doesn’t have to mirror the original album recording or how it sounds in the film – it just has to move me.
And by that criteria, Q The Music’s David Arnold James Bond Themed Concert Spectacular was indeed a spectacular and resounding success. It had me tapping my foot from start to end, with the arresting vocal numbers leaving a lasting impression.
All credit then to Warren Ringham, Q The Music and David Arnold for putting on such an unforgettable show. Not only did I see, feel, and hear the passion in their performances, but I also went home that night feeling nothing but satisfied, energized, and most importantly, cool.
I for one cannot wait to see Q The Music perform again – and I truly hope you do too!
PART 7: PRE- AND POST-SHOW PARTIES
To sweeten the experience for hardcore Bond fans, Q The Music offered tickets to special pre- and post-show receptions, with Arnold himself joining the post-show event.
As one of the few people not decked out in a tuxedo, I did feel somewhat self-conscious!
In any case, it was at the post-show reception that I ran into Arnold… literally! As I had to catch the last train to Heathrow in order to catch the very first flight the next morning (yes, I spent the night in the airport!), I waited as long as I could for Arnold to appear but decided to call it a day when I had fifteen minutes left on the clock to get my things from the cloakroom AND get to Bond (ahem) Street Station in time for the last train.
As fate would have it, I ran into Arnold just as I got to the cloakroom. Looking tired but in good spirits, Arnold happily posed for a selfie before I made my (African) run(down) for the station (I made it btw!).
I had hoped to get my programme signed by Arnold, but alas there was no time…
PART 8: DON’T STOP THE MUSIC
As you can probably tell from this glowing report, I thought Q The Music did a tremendous job bringing David Arnold’s Bond music to life.
If this was any indicator of what their other performances sound like, then I really can’t recommend their shows enough.
A great deal of work, time and money go into organizing and putting on these shows, so I implore you to support the band by either attending their fabulous shows or becoming a paid member like I did.
Trust me – you won’t regret it.
PART 9: OVER TO YOU
Did you go to this concert too? How did you like it?
And what did you think of my report? Feel free to comment below or reach out to me directly in the “Contact Me” section.
