LIVE REVIEW: Alexisonfire @ O2 Academy Brixton, London

Train delays and weather warnings wage war, but it doesn’t stop London’s iconic O2 Academy Brixton opening its doors as 5,000 fans descend down its slanting slope for the sold out final night of the UK tour of ALEXISONFIRE. It’s their first tour since releasing their first album in 13 years, Otherness, so the anticipation is electric.

Unfortunately, openers HIGHER POWER curb the enthusiasm. Hardcore punk’s rising stars are opening Brixton for the second time this year, yet they’re received with the ferocity of a firepit. It’s a shame they can’t get the crowd on their side, as they sound like they’re shooting for first place, but no matter how hard they try, the room stands like statues save for two dancing fans back at the bar. 

Frontman Jimmy Wizard jumps and jives his way around the stage, baiting out the crowd at every opportunity – “Come on, where’s the movement?” – but no matter how much of a stomp the likes of Low Season and Passanger pound the crowd with, the flame remains unlit. Perhaps the mid-set shift from their adrenaline-pumping hardcore punk to their more alt-metal material throws the momentum, marked awkwardly by Wizard’s selective shoutout to “all the weed smokers.” By the time they saunter off stage after Seamless, it’s clear the crowd are ready for something else. HIGHER POWER aren’t a bad live band, it’s just not their night.

Rating: 6/10

BOSTON MANOR, on the other hand, have no trouble hitting the right spots in a riotous warmup set. Built almost entirely around new album Datura and last year’s Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures EP, the set showcases their anthemic alt-rock so well, there’s more than a few faces crying for a headline set at the same venue in the not so distant future.

Opener Carbon Mono is the warm-up to a leg-day workout of a set, before vocalist Henry Cox beckons everyone at the back to slide down the hill and take to the front. As this year’s Passenger roars into existence, the bodies start bouncing, as pits open and crowd surfers fly. The band thrives off the crowd’s participation, the Cunniff brothers coming alive every time they sense a little chaos. 

Cox’s cries for the weekend, and his desire to get the crowd breaking a sweat before our Canadian headliners come calling, is infectious. He throws himself around the stage, contorting his movements to the rhythm of each song. Whilst Welcome To The Neighbourhood’s England’s Dreaming and Funeral Party are frenzied affairs, it’s Datura and GLUE’’s cuts that well and truly stir the pot. You, Me & The Class War is a powerful punch-up that sends sparks through the throng of punters diving about, whilst in Foxglove they’ve found an arena anthem awaiting its true calling. 

As closer Halo prompts a sing-along nearly as strong as the ones to come later in the evening, it’s clear that BOSTON MANOR are ready contenders to take on the challenge of headlining O2 Academy Brixton themselves. 

Rating: 9/10

If there was any fear settling in that BOSTON MANOR might’ve stolen the show, ALEXISONFIRE ensured there’s only one band headlining these hallowed halls tonight, and that’s them. With the crowd now sandwiched together like sardines in a tin, they arrive on stage to a hero’s welcome. They wave, they smile, they cheer – but once the pleasantries are over, they roundhouse kick their way into their set with the heart rate-inducing fan favourite Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints on a mission to make 5,000 people lose their voices singing and screaming for over an hour. 

Since reforming back in 2015, the post-hardcore pioneers have spent nearly a decade ascending to heavy metal royalty. With new album Otherness in tow, it’s clear tonight they’re no longer that cult band they once were – they’re the leaders of the pack. They offer up a ridiculous nine-song opening run that ebbs and flows with the finesse of an academy award-winning movie; the barnstorming, bodies-flying bravado of Boiled Frogs bleeds into the golden glow lighting of San Soleil’s soul-crushing sing-along, whilst the psychedelic fade from Sweet Dreams Of Otherness into .44 Calibre Love Letter and beyond to Accidents could be considered psychotic, yet fits perfectly like puzzle pieces locking into place. 

What works so well tonight is the chemistry that clearly flows between the fivesome. Dallas Green’s powerful pipes belt out the killer choruses, whilst Wade MacNeil adds the meat to vocalist George Pettit’s powerhouse screams. Elsewhere, bassist Chris Steele is as transfixing as ever, stalking across the stage like a man possessed, his body a vessel for their chaos, whether its slow-burning beauties like Blue Spade or heavy hitters like Dogs Blood. 

And it’s not just how fiery their form is, either; whenever they stop to take a breath and address the thousands in front of them, they chime in finishing each other’s sentences like they’re a happily married couple. Whether it’s Green guiding us through a heartwarming rendition of Happy Birthday for their lighting technician, or Pettit bringing the house down in a sea of boos as he chants “fuck the tories” before crying “whose side are you on?” as Committed To The Con kicks off an enthralling encore; it’s clear they know just what to say to have the world eating out of their hands.

A dizzying closing duo of This Could Be Anywhere In The World and Happiness By The Kilowatt is a killer blow to any band playing Brixton in the next week; there is simply no way you can top a set as spellbinding as that. No frills, no fireworks – just killer tunes and a penchant for chaos. 

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Anne Pfazlgraf here: 

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