On Thursday 5 December, Remi Wolf brought her big ideas straight from Los Angeles to Brixton, delivering an evening full of endless fun and playful energy as she presented her eclectic discography. Fans dressed in various forms of crochet, bright primary colours and Remi Wolf merch braved hiking across London amidst a storm to catch a glimpse of this one-of-a-kind artist in the renowned O2 Academy Brixton.
Maddie Jay kicked off the evening by showcasing her experimental pop sound as the crowd blew in from the swirling winds gracing us outside. Jay let the crowd know she was pulling 'double duty' that night, taking on the role of both the opening act and playing bass in Remi's band -- which is admirable to say the least. She was the perfect support act the energise the crowd, with her upbeat tracks and infectious personality. Her audience involvement was a unique and standout moment to see, sampling the sounds of the audience's applause and cheers to produce an impromptu sound for one of her tracks. It was clear that Jay is not just a performer or band member, but a producer - and a great one, too! As she announced 'My name is Maddie and I'll be back in twenty minutes!', the audience was left buzzing for Remi to take to the stage.
Remi Wolf is a born performer, even her name is that of a rockstar. Her extroverted energy was immediately palpable as she took the stage. Opening with 'Cherries & Cream,' she set the perfect tone for the rest of the show. It's a good job we had our dancing shoes on already (if heeled knee highs and cowboy boots count), because Brixton Academy quickly transformed into a disco for the night as she transitioned into 'Cinderella,' the opening track from her acclaimed latest album 'Big Ideas'. Although the stormy winds from Storm Darragh had already left us feeling windswept, Remi's energy instantly made us want to mirror her every move, bouncing around and letting our hair down without a care in the world. In fact, Remi herself paused the show to instruct us to dance and really allow creativity to flow through the building.
'Pitiful’ is one of Remi's most playful tracks, and she brought every bit of that energy to the live performance. There is actually a great deal of admiration for her impressive ability to kick her leg so high in jeans, a skill that should not go unnoticed! Wolf shares with the audience that she finds sound-checking 'boring' for its lack of audience, and stresses the importance of a high-energy crowd ensuring she (and her band members) can reciprocate their excitement for the show. There was a real sense of mutuality between the musicians on stage and the fans in the crowd, with fans matching Wolf's performance in their own dancing styles. It was truly heartwarming to see so many people truly enjoy themselves and leave their troubles at the door - as instructed by Remi herself.
As we weaved in and out of the different eras and albums of Remi's career, it is clear to see how versatile and multifaceted she and her work really are. Taking down the pace, Remi gave a shoutout to anyone sharing the name 'Liz' in the audience before playing the track of the same title, needless to say, the Blonde Vibrations resident (E)liz loved this, and will forever consider this track a personal dedication. Liz allowed Remi's unique and bursting vocals to truly be celebrated. Every note packed a punch, each sound had maximum feeling and she really possesses one of the most fire-y and impressive voices in today's music scene.
'Kangaroo' felt like a real show highlight, celebrating the album this tour promotes, 'Big Ideas'. The show became a party at this point, and you can even see the relationship between herself and the band as they all clearly have a genuine good time throughout the show. It always makes a live show more enjoyable to watch when it feels fully immersive, with everyone on stage really putting their all into each song and this rang true here.
Taking us further through her discography with songs with 'Alone in Miami', 'Sexy Villain' and 'Michael', Remi connected with the audience by providing the anecdotes that led to the creation of some of these tracks, and her natural apt for humour made her even more intoxicating. Remi's unfiltered approach had the crowd audibly entertained. Remi, ever considered a career in comedy? Something to think about.
The sign of a true performer is an ability to improvise, which Remi displayed effortlessly. Taking crowd participation to the extreme, she allowed individuals to select random, unheard words which Remi would then amalgamate into a new track. Brixton Academy was blessed with the live debut of 'Rosy Woody Capricorn', which was surprisingly catchy, unsurprisingly cheeky and actually sounded like it could be a genuine song. This entire performance felt like Remi was truly showcasing her superstardom and natural ability in being a wonderful musician.
The live rendition of 'Toro' was another highlight for this already high-calibre show. Remi and the band playfully placed their fingers on their heads for a 'bull dance' which was equal parts silly and effective in setting the tone for the song. This was another track which placed a spotlight on her mesmerising vocal range, it cannot be expressed enough how effortlessly explosive her voice is. This is even further exemplified as she finished the main portion of the show with 'Soup' - the track that feels like a culmination of all of the energy and intensity we felt throughout the evening. It truly is an anthem that somehow felt even more impactful live.
Of course, Remi left little time to feel sadness over the show's end, returning to the stage for a brief encore of the track that soundtracked the 2020s, 'Photo ID'. Remi threw herself into this playful performance one final time, leaving the crowd with the lasting memory of an unforgettable show. As the lights of the iconic venue faded back on, everyone around us shared their awe and admiration for Remi Wolf to those around them, and we couldn't help but feel amazed at the show we had just observed.
Remi is undoubtedly one of the most impressive performers of today, and we can only hope she'll grace a stage near us once again soon. Many thanks to the team at Universal for providing us with the opportunity to catch one of our favourite artists. All opinions are our own.
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