LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: DELILAH BON AT THE O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON, LONDON 23/11/25 (+ CRAE WOLF)
There's an art to building community around music. It may seem like a simple concept but sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference. At the Islington Academy the merch table demonstrates the first of these thoughtful gestures that make a Delilah Bon show a step above, with a pile of pink and black friendship bracelets front and centre.
Crae Wolf journeyed with the show up from Bristol for the second of two nights in support. This tour welcomed four unique acts for a couple of nights each. With Changeline, Bex and Ailsha all having done their stint, it was time for London-reared Crae Wolf who brought her brutal gothic drill game to a packed hometown show.
“Hello Baddies, are you guys ready to rock out?” she asked, starting the show with ‘Do U Think I Care’.
Wolf's crowd work is immaculate and with a cheeky grin she got the room onside early, training the gathered fans to respond with a growl of ‘‘Wolf’' every time she yelled ‘‘Crae’’, the more enthusiastic among them also adding howls to the mix.
“You're now in the Wolf pack” she declared after head-nodding track ‘On My Body’. Everyone seemingly okay with this indoctrination. Crae Wolf's strength here is that the parallels between hers and Delilah Bon's message have massive crossovers. Anyone who bought a ticket to see Bon couldn't fail to be impressed by the rip-roaring attitude, dance moves and down and dirty rocking out that Wolf brought to the party.
Crae Wolf is also an artist with a lot in the works. Latest single ‘Mouth’ got the room moving. Introducing us to the band - Kat on keys, Bambi on drums and Infamous on guitar, the whole outfit was slick to the point of being almost obnoxious.
Sprinting onto stage in a blue diamante princess dress, sparkling tiara and black platform boots, bejewelled mic in hand, Delilah Bon fronts her band with the confidence of an artist that takes a fun aesthetic and makes it a statement.
The night was about ‘Princeless Princess’ not just the tour name but Bon's new EP and title track - and so the night naturally began here.
The Bon-Bons - the affectionate name for the fans - went wild right from the off and the Princeless Princess tour made itself at home in London.
Yells of “don't think so” ring out as Bon stomped around the stage, growling, screaming and thrashing, owning the ‘brat' label that she more than lives up to.
“This is a song I wrote about being a little shit at school” Bon declared, introducing ‘Villain’. A perfect example of her prowess in gritty rap.
“London, this is the last show of the tour and I don't know how I feel about it”. Bon has definitely stepped into her groove. The last night of the tour being a bittersweet moment for any artist, the setlist was honed and the confidence was high but leaving the run will inevitably be a sad moment.
Bon's brand of riot grrrl rap has also become the soundtrack to a number of marches and movements across the world with her music being played as far afield as the Roe vs Wade protests in the US. At points in the set, she paused to talk about the struggles of women and explainers of pivotal tracks like ‘Chop Dicks’. The aggression that Bon puts into her tracks often rubs the Internet trolls of the world up the wrong way but she takes this abuse in her stride, positioning herself as a lightning rod for the wrath that women experience.
Bon is indeed a strong figure in this regard. Speaking on and singing about the vulnerabilities of women, that she herself has experienced, knowing it will inevitably make her target number one. She takes this responsibility on directly with encouragement from her fans that make it clear that they draw strength from her using her voice.
‘Cinderella’, one of the most relentless songs off the new EP saw Bon writhing around on the floor with guitarist Anja and off stage in the audience the energy was feverish.
‘Not The President’ brought poignancy to the set with Bon abandoning the stage to sing directly to the fans in the front row, grasping hands and giving out hugs.
Switching up the tempo, ‘Wish A Bitch Would’, a song originally written about Sarah Everard, allowed the crowd to release the rage. Staying down on the barrier, for ‘Maverick’ and being joined by Anja and bassist Becky Baldwin the set really found its peak.
The anthemic ‘Dead Men Don't Rape’ was received just as expected with hundreds of voices screaming at the top of their lungs. Fem-rage is so back baby.
Rounding off the night with the new era - the downright cheeky ‘Bush’ really demonstrated the amazing multitudes of a Delilah Bon show. The crowd laughed, thrashed, cried and danced through a set that could be equally described as fun, heartbreaking and most of all, iconic.
Words by Imogen Bird
Photos by Florelle Servageon