The first film, Into the Spider-Verse, had previously been shown with a live orchestra, but unfortunately I missed that one. This time, I had the chance to attend Across the Spider-Verse.
The music for the film was composed by Daniel Pemberton. Daniel is also known for King Arthur, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Enola Holmes.
The score for Across the Spider-Verse consists largely of electronic and DJ-style music, so I was curious to hear how it would sound live. There were supposed to be an orchestra, a band, and a DJ present. To my surprise, there was a full orchestra on stage, alongside a band and a DJ booth.
In the audience there was a wide mix of young and old. There were even many parents with small children. It may be an animated film, but a concert version like this is something quite different. It was surprising to see.
When the conductor came on stage, he introduced the DJ and then the main guest.
To everyone’s surprise, Daniel Pemberton walked onto the stage. He performed throughout the entire film and played several of the solos.
Daniel took the microphone and thanked several people, including his father. His father recently turned 90 and was sitting in the audience, which led to thunderous applause!
It had been a while since I last saw the film, and I hadn’t listened to the music in some time either.
The score is magnificent. The live performance added an extra dimension to the experience. In my memory it was mostly electronic music, but there are surprisingly many sections played by the orchestra. That was a wonderful surprise.
Daniel stole the show with the solos he performed. The unusual sounds he made to support the score (slapping his cheek, for example) were also fun to watch.
The most striking and unique aspect of these live Spider-Verse performances is that the audience is expected to participate. At the beginning, the conductor encouraged everyone to cheer, shout, and applaud when their favorite characters appeared on screen. And so they did. The audience enthusiastically reacted to everything happening on the screen. Normally I find this distracting during a film, but this time it fit perfectly with the overall concert experience.
You could see that Daniel and the rest of the orchestra, band, and DJ were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
When the film ended, the orchestra stopped playing after the first part of the end credits and received a roaring applause. Then Daniel asked if the audience wanted to hear more. The response was a resounding YES! The orchestra continued playing while the rest of the credits rolled. Doing it this way meant that most people stayed for the entire end credits, whereas normally many would leave early — even at a live concert like this.
It was a remarkable concert that leaves you with a great feeling and makes you eager for the next film, Beyond the Spider-Verse. Daniel mentioned that he is currently working on the score for that film.
So I’ll be keeping an eye on him!
Concert information
When: Eventim Apollo – London, UK
When: December 19, 2025
Artist: Daniel Pemberton
