“THIS FEELS LIKE SOMETHING BIG FOR US” CIRCA WAVES @ O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON

LIVE REVIEW | CIRCA WAVES w/ Peace, Corella | LONDON O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY 26th February 2025 by Charlie Wright

“The fact we are here 6 albums in, playing to people like you…”

Circa Waves have come a long way in their decade of bouncing around the indie scene, producing huge Summer hits that take over festivals and bring sunshine to any season. In support of their new album, Death & Love Part I, the Liverpool quartet arrived at one of the biggest London shows yet, O2 Academy Brixton.

This new album has been praised for its unrelenting and expansive new sound, nailing what makes Circa Waves sound so large. The anthem ‘We Made It’ was penned after frontman Kieran Shuddall underwent life-saving emergency heart surgery, inspiring him to write a party record. He told NME “I thought I might die before I made this record. And then I didn’t, and I got to make an album of music that I loved. The shackles were off, in a way, because I had this newfound joy and excitement for being alive.”

That revitalised excitement can certainly be felt too, a sentiment which made the night in Brixton evermore special for both the band and the 5,000 fans in the audience.

Bringing the fun was a stacked bill of incredible artists in their own right, rising stars Corella and icons Peace. The Manchester-hailing Corella has been on a heady rise over the last few years, recently headlining Koko themselves for their debut record. Given the opportunity to play even larger stages is welcomed with open arms, the band beaming with smiles and confidence before announcing ‘One day we’ll headline Brixton‘. Despite opening almost immediately after doors, these trailblazers commanded the room with bangers like Lady Messiah and Barcelona Girl, the latter involving frontman Joel jumping into the mosh pit. For a support act to receive this much love is rare, an exciting (and reassuring) glimpse into the future of indie.

Following Corella’s stunning performance was an iconic band, Peace. The Worcester band began receiving national recognition back in 2012 after the EP Delicious. Jam-packing a collection of their greatest tracks including Lovesick, California Daze and Bloodshake, the band then truly seized the moment when performing their incredible 1998 (Delicious) track. As time ran out, the group began dismantling equipment while playing, two of which were still dancing around on the drums at the back of the stage.

When Circa Waves strutted on stage, the room was more than ready. From the heaviest moments (Fire That Burns, Be Your Drug) to soft serenades (Lemonade) and pit-fillers (T-Shirt Weather, Fossils), the Liverpool quartet owned every second of this performance, exclaiming they’ll ‘never take it for granted’ midway through.

Even newer tracks felt right at home, including favourites Let’s Leave Together and Like You Did Before. These new contenders got people moving and proved this band have every right to remain indie royalty in 2025. Even the likes of Do You Wanna Talk from the understated previous album seem to have found a new life on stage, which is a pleasure to see.

While their sound has become more streamlined as years have passed, the live shows have always given Circa Waves a place to change up their tracks and have fun on stage. At their headline show in Brixton, this was no different. The gnarly guitar behind Sorry I’m Yours never sounded so good, and Jacqueline got people screaming back every word.

If you’ve been to a Circa Waves show before, you’ll know they’re also famous for ravenous ‘moshers’, which certainly showed up in full force, receiving various compliments from the band throughout. The largest pit was, of course, T-Shirt Weather, which contained two or three large holes in the crowd. On the drop, chaos flooded the stalls, as Shuddall basked in the fun of it all.

“We have two more shows after this but this one right now feels like something big for us” exclaims the band.

One thing is for sure – this is a stunning example of how to command a room. This is a band that has stood the test of time and remained a glowing lifeline for indie rock, and this performance showed that they’re far from finished.