LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: METRIC AT THE O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON, LONDON 12/09/26
Saturday night at the O2 Academy Brixton in London had that distinct energy you only get when a venue is packed to the brim for a lineup that genuinely means something to people. Bringing together Stars, Broken Social Scene, and indie-rock royalty Metric on a single bill turned into a massive reunion of old friends, with the crowd fully invited along for the ride.
Stars kicked things off with a great warm-up set before handing the mic to Broken Social Scene. BSS brought pure party energy, both acts doing a great job getting the crowd fired up for the main event.
When the lights cut out, Metric took the stage under a wave of deafening applause. It’s hard to believe Emily Haines and James Shaw started this band way back in Toronto in 1998 (originally under the name Mainstream), because alongside Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key, their energy feels as fresh as ever.
Dynamic visuals flashed across the back screens as they launched straight into ‘Victim of Luck’ and ‘Oh Please’. Haines seamlessly bounced between playing synth and working the crowd, dropping a casual "What’s up, how are you feeling?" right between lyrics without missing a beat. By the third song ‘Youth Without Youth’, she had the entire floor moving, calling out, "Jump with me on the count of 3!" before handing over the spotlight with a sharp, "Take it away, gentlemen," as James Shaw unleashed an electrifying guitar solo.
Then followed a total streak of bangers that got the crowd on their feet: ‘Monster Hospital,’ ‘Crush Forever,’ and ‘Antigravity.’ Before launching into ‘Now or Never Now,’ Haines shared a raw moment with the crowd: "How are you feeling? Same.’’ when cheered followed. ‘‘I wrote this song when I was really emotionally paralyzed."
Taking in the room, Haines also joked about the heavy Canadian presence on the bill: "I’m surprised it doesn’t smell like maple syrup in here!" She went on to reflect on their long history with the UK, telling the audience, "We love this town, we love this venue, it’s the coolest." Soon after, she invited Broken Social Scene’s own Amy Millan on stage for a stunning duet on ‘Breathing Underwater’.
The rest of the set pushed the camaraderie even further. She spoke warmly about the band's childhood friendships and deep roots in the London scene, inviting Broken Social Scene’s own Sam Goldberg Jr. on ‘Gold Guns Girls’, before the rest of the band and Stars returned to the stage with a full brass section of saxophones and trumpets to elevate ’Synthetica,’ right after Haines teased the room: "How are we doing, still 100% human? Don’t make me check your ID!"
‘Gimme Sympathy’ brought a crowd chorus before closing out with the classic ‘Combat Baby’, sparking more dancing and pure joy from the crowd.
While the entire night was a masterclass in indie rock, the absolute crown jewel of the set was unsurprisingly ‘Help I'm Alive.’ The moment the iconic first notes dropped, the collective energy in the room hit its absolute peak, with all the voices in the room joined together, for a massive singalong proving just how powerful that song still is decades later.
Closing out with another fan favourite, ‘Black Sheep,’ Metric showed that they still know how to make a massive room like the iconic O2 Academy Brixton feel like a fun, high-energy night out with old friends. It was a night of pure joy, sweat, with a sprinkle of nostalgia, and we can’t wait for them to come back.
Words by Florelle Servageon
Photos by Eva Grant
