Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O₂ Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O₂ brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South West London, in the Lambeth district of

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th cent ...

. Opening in 1929 as a cinema, the venue was converted into a

discotheque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gene ...

in 1972, then reborn as a concert hall in 1983. It is owned by the Academy Music Group, and has become one of London's leading music venues, hosting over 50 live albums, and winning the NME Best Venue 12 times since 1994. It has been home to several notable performances, including

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...

' last gig (December 1986),

Leftfield Leftfield are a British electronic music duo formed in 1989 as the duo of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley (the latter formerly of the Rivals and A Man Called Adam). The duo was very influential in the evolution of electronic music in the 1990s, w ...

's June 1996 concert which set a decibel record for a live gig at 137db, and

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

's gig in 2000, which was watched by an online audience of 9 million. In December 2022, two people died and others were seriously injured following a

crowd crush Crowd collapses and crushes are catastrophic incidents that can occur when a body of people becomes dangerously overcrowded. When a body of people reaches or exceeds the density of , the pressure on each individual can cause the crowd to collapse ...

at the door.

History

The venue started as a cinema and theatre in 1929 on the site of a private garden in Stockwell Road. Designed by the architects Thomas Somerford and E. A. Stone, it was built at a cost of £250,000 as an "Astoria" theatre. The opening show was the

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

film '' The Singing Fool'', followed by a variety act, including Heddle Nash and

Derek Oldham Derek Oldham (29 March 1887 – 20 March 1968) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. After performing in concerts as a boy soprano and workin ...

which was broadcast by the BBC. The theatre eventually closed its doors as a cinema on 29 July 1972. It was then converted into a discotheque in September 1972, known as the "Sundown Centre". The club was not a success and closed down some four months later. In May 1974 planning permission was sought to demolish the Grade II listed building and replace it with a motor showroom and petrol station. However, the redevelopment scheme was scrapped. The building was kept heated after it closed, and was used as an equipment store by the

Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribut ...

. In 1981, the venue was remodelled by Sean Treacy, who later ran the entire site services, was re-opened as a rock venue called "Fair Deal" with a concert by

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...

and an interior restoration. The Clash played the venue in 1982 on their Casbah Club tour (30 July) but the venue closed later that year due to debt. In 1983, Simon Parkes bought the venue for £1, and re-opened it as the Brixton Academy. The Academy's success steadily grew throughout the 1980s with numerous reggae productions and it was hired out to major rock and pop acts such as

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and per ...

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...

for rehearsal. The venue was also used for video shoots for

Wham! Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling mor ...

(

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" is a song by the English duo Wham!, first released as a single in the UK on 14 May 1984. It became their first UK and US number one hit. It was written and produced by George Michael. The single was certified pla ...

) and

Culture Club Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New ...

. In 1995, Parkes sold the theatre to Break for the Border. Under its new ownership (McKenzie Group), reinvestment started immediately, with a complete £500,000 refurbishment of the Art Deco building frontage to its original grandeur, additional facilities both front of house and backstage and a capacity increase to just under 5,000. The venue is currently run by the Academy Music Group after a rebranding in August 2004 and hosts a range of live acts and club nights. With the sale, the venue's title was changed to Carling Academy Brixton. In 2008, naming rights were purchased for £25.5 million by the O2 brand, owned by the Spanish telecommunications company

Telefónica Telefónica, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the world. It provides fixed and mobile telephony, broadba ...

. Being one of the biggest non-arena music venues in London, the Academy has been used by many very successful acts. It has also been voted venue of the year 12 times since 1994 in the annual

NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine '' NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding ...

. In addition the venue has won the Music Week Award for Venue of the Year several times including 2009.

2022 Asake concert crush

An apparent

outside a performance by

Asake Ahmed Ololade (born 13 January 1995), known professionally as Asake, is a Nigerian Afrobeats singer and songwriter. He is signed to YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. His stage name pays homage to his mother, whose first name is Asake. To pro ...

on 15 December 2022 seriously injured four people, two of whom died in the following days. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' has cast doubt on early reports that people were trying to force their way in without a ticket. It also questions the management of the building and its entrances. As a result of the crowd crush, Lambeth councillors met in the early hours of 22 December 2022 and decided to suspend the academy's operating licence following the "severity of events" and "risks to public safety" from "a lack of crowd control at the front doors". The licence is suspended until a full hearing takes place on 16 January 2023.

Notable performances

Sex Pistols at Brixton Academy 2007-11-03 (4)

played their last gig here in December 1986 which was an Anti-

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

benefit scheduled for the Royal Albert Hall but rearranged to the Brixton Academy due to

Johnny Marr Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher, 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerou ...

being involved in a car accident. The German electronic group,

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize t ...

, performed on two consecutive nights in 1991, on the 19th and 20 July. The

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United St ...

played their final European show at the venue on February 3, 1996 before touring for the last time in South and North America.

played a special concert at the venue in 2000, to promote the release of her album, ''

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

''. The concert was broadcast live online and was watched by a record-breaking audience of 9 million.

Rammstein Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, ...

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harr ...

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

, Deborah Harry,

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional ...

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core mem ...

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Hard-Fi Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band, formed in 2003 in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey. The band's most recent lineup before going on hiatus consisted of Richard Archer (lead vocals and guitar), Kai Stephens ( bass guitar and backing vocals) and ...

The 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in 2002 in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Now based in Manchester, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew "Matty" Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer ...

and

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

have all played five consecutive nights at the venue. In 2002 Iron Maiden played three consecutive nights as a part of charity event "Clive Aid 2002". The band set the record for merchandise and ticket sales.

The Mighty Boosh The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spanned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three which aired ...

broke this record in 2008, with their second live show ''

Boosh Live ''The Mighty Boosh Live: Future Sailors Tour'' was a stage-show written and performed by Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, also known as The Mighty Boosh. Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher and Dave Brown also performed in the show, along with t ...

'', playing seven consecutive nights.

The xx The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), an ...

equalled their record in March 2017, playing seven consecutive nights in support of third record '' I See You'', becoming the first music act to reach that number.

set the world's decibel record for a live concert in 1996 when they reached 137db.Alt URL
/ref> They were summarily banned from using the same sound system at the venue after the high bass levels started disintegrating the ceiling, resulting in showers of dust and plaster. They returned in 2000 using a different sound system. The Brixton Academy served as a tour stop for

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

J-pop/metal phenomenon

Babymetal (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal" and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrume ...

in 2014. During this performance, the group would debut their newest single "

Road of Resistance "Road of Resistance" is a song by the Japanese Kawaii metal band Babymetal. The song was released worldwide as a digital single on February 1, 2015 by Toy's Factory, serving as the lead single off the international re-release of the album ''Babyme ...

Albums recorded at Brixton

*''

Space Ritual ''The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London'' (commonly known as ''Space Ritual'') is a 1973 live double album recorded in 1972 by UK rock band Hawkwind. It is their fourth album, reached #9 in the UK album charts and briefly dented the ...

'', a 1972 live album by

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

, recorded in 1972 at Brixton Sundown and Liverpool Stadium. *''Live at the Academy, Brixton'', an album by

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

, recorded in May 1984. *Pete Townshend recorded Deep End Live! at Brixton Academy on 1/2 November 1985. *''Academy'', a 1989 VHS video by New Order was recorded live at the Brixton Academy on 4 April 1987 as part of the International

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

Day fund-raising season *'' See You Up There'', a 1989 live album by

Stiff Little Fingers Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the De ...

, recorded 17 March 1988. *''A New Decade: Live From Brixton Academy'', a 1990 live album by

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

, was recorded in the summer of 1990. *'' Live at the Brixton Academy'', a 1991 live album by

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist ...

, recorded in 1990. *''Weird's Bar & Grill'', a 1993 live album from the band

Pop Will Eat Itself Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorp ...

, recorded in 1992. *'' Live at the Brixton Academy'', a 1994 live album by

The Brian May Band The Brian May Band was an English-American rock band formed by Queen guitarist Brian May for touring in promotion of his studio albums. History The rhythm section for the band were Cozy Powell and Neil Murray, who had previously worked toge ...

. * Hole recorded their 1995 ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'' sessions there. *'' Live at Brixton Academy'', a 1999 live album by

Atari Teenage Riot Atari Teenage Riot (ATR) is a German band formed in Berlin in 1992. Highly political, they fuse left-wing, anarchist and anti-fascist views with punk vocals and a techno sound called digital hardcore, which is a term band member Alec Empire u ...

. *''Live at the Brixton Academy'', a live album released by

Sizzla Miguel Orlando Collins (born 17 April 1976), known by his stage name Sizzla Kalonji or Sizzla, is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is noted for his high num ...

on 29 August 2000 * David Gray recorded his concert on 16 December 2000 as the album ''Live at Brixton Academy December 2000''. *

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...

recorded their 25th Anniversary concert on 20 October 2000 at Brixton Academy entitled '' 25 & Alive Boneshaker'', released as DVD music video in 2001 and as an audio album later in 2003 under the '' Live at Brixton Academy'' title, the latter featuring the façade of Carling Academy Brixton on the cover. * Conflict ''Turning Rebellion into Money''. Recorded 18 April 1987 during The Gathering of the 5000. *''

Under a Pale Grey Sky ''Under a Pale Grey Sky'' is a live album by Sepultura, released on September 24, 2002, through Roadrunner Records. The album was recorded in the Brixton Academy, London on December 16, 1996. Max Cavalera left Sepultura shortly after the concert ...

'', 2002 live album by

Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...

but recorded in 1996. Last show featuring Max Cavalera. *

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...

recorded their live CD ''

Hellalive ''Hellalive'' is the first live album by American heavy metal band Machine Head. The album was released to fulfill Machine Head's commitment to Roadrunner Records (the band released ''Through the Ashes of Empires'' shortly after). Former Vio-le ...

'' at the Brixton Academy on 8 December 2001. This CD was released on 11 March 2003. *''Scarred: Live at Brixton Academy'', a 2003 live album by

Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his d ...

, recorded in 2001. *''Live at Brixton Academy'', a 2003 live DVD by the

Inspiral Carpets Inspiral Carpets are an English rock band, part of the late-1980s/early-1990s Madchester movement. Formed in Oldham in 1980, the band's most successful lineup featured frontman Tom Hingley, drummer Craig Gill, guitarist Graham Lambert, bassi ...

. *'' Live in London'', a 2003 live album by

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

, recorded in 2001. *A live album was released immediately after all four

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...

2004 concerts. *

Franz Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I. Fr ...

recorded part of their self-titled live DVD at Brixton Academy in 2004. * The Death in Vegas album ''

Satan's Circus ''Satan's Circus'' is the fourth studio album by Death in Vegas, released on 11 October 2004 on Drone Records in the United Kingdom and on 24 May 2005 on Sanctuary Records in the United States. Contrary to previous releases, this album feature ...

'' was released as a limited edition double pack including a live CD recorded at Brixton Academy. *''Rumble in Brixton'', a 2004 live album and DVD by Stray Cats. *'' Live at Brixton Academy'', a 2004 live album and DVD by Dido. *'' Good Charlotte Live at Brixton Academy'', a 2004 DVD by

Good Charlotte Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of twin brothers Joel Madden (lead vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar and vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin ( ...

*''Live at Brixton Academy'', a Limited Edition DVD recorded in 2004 for

Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles "At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of w ...

's album '' Lovebox'', released for their ''Best Of'' album. *Part of Rammstein's DVD ''

Völkerball ''Völkerball'' (German for " Dodgeball"; "Peoples' ball") is a live album and DVD by German rock band Rammstein. It was released on 17 November 2006 in Europe, 19 December 2006 in Canada and on 18 September 2007 in the US. The album was adver ...

'' was recorded at the venue between 3 and 5 February 2005. *

Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...

recorded his concert on 19 May 2005 and a double CD of the recording was available to buy at the venue after the show. *

Over the Years and Through the Woods ''Over the Years and Through the Woods'' is the title of a live album and video by Queens of the Stone Age. The release features material on audio CD as well as video DVD—both recorded at London's Brixton Academy on Monday August 22, 2005 and ...

, a live CD and DVD by the

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple lin ...

on 22 August 2005 *'' The Poison: Live At Brixton'', a 2006 live DVD by Bullet For My Valentine *

Damian Marley Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards. Early life, education and family Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...

recorded the album ''Damian Marley, Live at the Brixton Academy'' in 2006 *''Live at Brixton Academy London, UK 11/13/07'', a Limited Edition CD recorded by Concert Live for

Alexisonfire Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike.Band is a scream", CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit ...

, and distributed after the show *''Live in the UK 2008 at Brixton Academy 1 February 2008'', a Limited Edition CD recorded by Concert Live for

Paramore Paramore is an American Rock music, rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the ...

, and distributed immediately after the show *'' Edgy In Brixton'', a 2007 live DVD by

The Fratellis The Fratellis are a Scottish rock band from Glasgow, formed in 2005. The band consists of three unrelated members, who perform under pseudonyms: lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli, bassist Barry Fratelli, and drummer Mince Fratelli. Thei ...

*''Live in the UK at Brixton Academy 3 May 2008'', a Limited Edition CD recorded by Concert Live for

The Wombats The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tord Øverland Knudsen (bass, backing vocals, keyboards), and Dan Haggis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards) ...

, and distributed after the show *'' Live from Brixton Academy'', a live recording from the band

Kasabian Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Ka ...

, available only from some digital download services and encumbered with DRM. It was recorded at Brixton Academy on 15 December 2004. This was the band's final show of their momentous breakthrough year, and band member

Sergio Pizzorno Sergio Lorenzo "Serge" Pizzorno (born 15 December 1980) is a British guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the rock band Kasabian. He is Kasabian's primary songwriter since the departure of co-composer Christopher Karl ...

's birthday. *'' There'll Always Be an England'', a live DVD and documentary recorded in 2007 for

. *

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They ...

recorded their concert on 18 February 2008 and a double CD of the recording was available to buy at the venue after the show and also online. The show was a sell-out despite not having a major hit in the UK. *

Pendulum A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward th ...

recorded their live DVD in Brixton on 4 December 2008. *

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

released a DVD of a 26 June 2009 concert entitled ''Across the Pond'' as a part of a box-set

Europe 2009 ''Europe 2009'' is a live album and video release by the Dave Matthews Band from several 2009 concerts in Italy and London. The concert on the three CDs was held during the Lucca Summer Festival in Lucca, Italy, on July 5, 2009. The concert fe ...

on 22 December 2009. *

Jamie T Jamie Alexander Treays (born 8 January 1986), better known by his stage name Jamie T, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, guitarist and record producer from Wimbledon, South London. Jamie T released his debut album, ''Panic Prevention' ...

recorded his concert on 5 February 2010, which was sold at the venue the next day. *

Chase and Status Chase & Status are an English electronic music duo composed of Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status). In addition, Andy Gangadeen is the drummer when the band performs live. MC Rage formerly performed as MC with the group, but left in J ...

recorded live album Live at Brixton Academy in 2012 *

Faithless Faithless are an English band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. Their first album, '' Reverence'', was released in 1996 and their most recent, ''All Blessed'', in 2020. They have sold milli ...

recorded their "Passing The Baton" album live at Brixton Academy in 2012. * Two Door Cinema Club recorded a live album as part of a two-disc deluxe set for the 2012 album

Beacon A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...

. *

Asking Alexandria Asking Alexandria are a British rock band from York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley. Initially formed in 2006 by Ben Bru ...

recorded their show at Brixton Academy in January 2013, it was released in December 2014 in DVD format on

Live From Brixton And Beyond ''Live from Brixton and Beyond'' is the first live album by British rock band Asking Alexandria Asking Alexandria are a British rock band from York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, drummer James ...

. *

Carter USM Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (also known as Carter USM or simply Carter) were an English indie rock band formed in 1987 by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les " Fruitbat" Carter. They made their name with a distinctive style ...

recorded their show at Brixton Academy on 14 November 2009. This recording was released as part of the two disc ' The Drum Machine Years' release which also included a recording of the previous night's gig at London (HMV) Forum. *

"The Final Comedown" Live CD & DVD was recorded in November 2014. Said to be as the best live film & audio recording of the band that has ever been made & a fitting end to the band's live career. *

J-pop/death metal phenomenon

recorded their 8 November 2014 performance at the Brixton Academy, and released the performance under the title '' Live in London: Babymetal World Tour 2014'' in 2015. * Of Mice & Men recorded their show at Brixton Academy in March 2015. Made a live DVD called, ' Live at Brixton' Released on 27 May 2016. * New Order recorded their show at Brixton Academy in November 2015. Made a live album called, ' NOMC15' Released on 26 May 2017. * 5 Seconds of Summer recorded their show at Brixton Academy on 29 October 2018. They made a live album called, ‘ Meet You There Tour Live’ which was released 21 December 2018. * Public Service Broadcasting recorded their album: "Live at Brixton" at Brixton in 2016 *

Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...

recorded their Brixton show on 11 February 2012, releasing the '' Live at Brixton'' album of the recording in 2014. *

Gojira Gojira (ゴジラ) is the original Japanese name for Godzilla, a giant monster at the center of a media franchise. It may also refer to: Films * ''Godzilla'' franchise, known as ''ゴジラ'' (''Gojira'') in Japan ** ''Godzilla'' (1954 film), rel ...

recorded their show at Brixton Academy on 24 March 2013, later releasing it on 11 March 2014 as Les Enfants Sauvages. * Deaf Havana recorded their show at Brixton Academy on 7 December 2018. They made a live album called, ‘Deaf Havana Live at Brixton Academy’ which was released in 2019. *

Bombay Bicycle Club Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London, consisting of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram, and Ed Nash. They are guitar-fronted and have experimented with different genres, including folk, electro ...

recorded their show at Brixton Academy in 2019, playing their debut album in full. They released the recording in January 2021.

Videos recorded at Brixton

*The

ITV Panto The ITV Panto is a series of televised pantomimes originally broadcast on ITV in 1998, 2000, and 2002, and have Rerun for over the last 20 years since they were filmed. All written by Simon Nye, they included an array of celebrities playing the ...

''Cinderella'', which was not actually released on DVD or VHS. * Queen guitarist Brian May performed at the venue in 1993 *

Tenacious D Tenacious D is an American comedy rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. It was founded by actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who were members of The Actors' Gang theater company at the time. The duo's name is derived from "ten ...

has the entire performance from 3 November 2002 at the Brixton Academy on the second disc of their DVD, ''

The Complete Masterworks ''The Complete Master Works'' is a two- DVD set by Tenacious D, documenting their gig at the Brixton Academy on November 3, 2002. The DVD also contains the band's TV series, a collection of short films, two documentaries on the band, music videos ...

''. *

recorded three videos here: "Women in Uniform", "Run to the Hills" and "The Trooper" *

had their performance filmed at The Brixton Academy in 1990. The performance was released on VHS and subsequently to DVD and is titled '' You Fat Bastards: Live at the Brixton Academy''. *''In Bed With Carter'' was filmed at Brixton Academy. It features a live gig of Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine (

). *The movie '' 9 Songs'' features numerous performances (e.g.,

) all shot at Brixton Academy. *

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...

's VHS/DVD '' Love and Poison'', originally released in 1993, was filmed at Brixton Academy. *In 1990,

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal, but the band calls it ...

filmed the

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for their song " Thunderstruck" at the Academy. *

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

and

filmed the video for their 1986 top-ten hit " Move Away" at the Brixton Academy. The video has extensive footage of the venue, including the entrance hall, the staircase and the circle. The band is also seen as silent film-stars racing cars across the venues former film-screen. *Video shoots for

were held at the venue. Billy Ocean's video for "

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" is a popular witticism in American English. The phrase is an example of antimetabole. The origin of the phrase has been attributed to various sources. It appears to come from American football ...

" on the soundtrack for '' The Jewel of the Nile'' was shot in Brixton Academy. *'' Elegies'', the 2005 DVD from

featured material recorded at the Brixton Academy while on tour the previous year. *The

are due to bring out a DVD of their five gigs in 2007. It is mostly based on the 10 November 2007 gig. *'' The Mighty Boosh Live'' DVD was recorded at the Brixton Academy in 2006. *The video for "Who's Got A Match?" by

Biffy Clyro Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil (guitar, lead vocals), James Johnston (bass, vocals), and Ben Johnston (drums, vocals). Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have r ...

was recorded at Brixton Academy in October 2007. *

Moloko Moloko () were an Irish-English electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their UK top 10 sin ...

recorded a live DVD: '' 11,000 Clicks'' at The Brixton Academy on 22 November 2003. It was the last show of a long tour for Moloko and was likely their final performance as a band. *

N.E.R.D. N.E.R.D. (stylized as N⋆E⋆R⋆D and N.E.R.D, a backronym of No-one Ever Really Dies) is an American hip hop and rock band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1999. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin Recor ...

recorded their second single "

Spaz In medicine, the adjective spastic refers to an alteration in muscle tone affected by the medical condition spasticity, which is a well-known symptomatic phenomenon seen in patients with a wide range of central neurological disorders, includin ...

" from third album '' Seeing Sounds'' at The Brixton Academy on 14 June 2008. * Bullet For My Valentine recorded their gig for the DVD '' The Poison: Live at Brixton'' at Brixton on 28 January 2006. *

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...

Flavor of Entanglement tour was televised in the UK. *On 26 June 2009,

filmed the music video for their second single, "Why I Am". *

Placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...

filmed the video for their 1999 single "

Every You Every Me "Every You Every Me" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the third single from their second album, '' Without You I'm Nothing'', on 25 January 1999. It was released as a 2-CD set and on cassette, but promotional copie ...

" during a gig at the Academy. *A concert in 1992 by Ride at Brixton Academy was recorded for the VHS ''Going Blank Again – Live at Brixton Academy'' (also known as ''Brixton''). *

You Me At Six You Me at Six are an English rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. The band consists of lead singer Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes and drummer Daniel Flint. Formed in 2004, the name for the group origi ...

, filmed the music video for their song "Underdog" and "Reckless" at Brixton Academy. *

Gabriella Cilmi Gabriella Lucia Cilmi ( ; ; born 10 October 1991) is an Australian pop singer. A contralto, Cilmi is known for her distinctive raspy singing voice. Her debut album, '' Lessons to Be Learned'', was released in March 2008, becoming a moderate in ...

filmed the video for her 2010 single '' Hearts Don't Lie'' at the venue. *

's ''

'' DVD was partly recorded at Brixton Academy. It also features a live CD. *

Deadmau5 Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as Deadmau5 (stylized as deadmau5; pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He mainly produces progressive house music, though he also produce ...

recorded 5 videos off 2010 album ''4×4=12'' *DJ Shadow, In Tune and On Time. * Meat Loaf's 23 February 1985 show was recorded and released as the video ''Bad Attitude Live!'' *Placebo – '' We Come In Pieces''. *

– Brixton Academy (13–14 December 2002) – available with The Best of Groove Armada: Limited Edition CD+DVD set * Steel Panther recorded their live DVD

British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" o ...

at the Brixton Academy in 2010, and was released in late 2012. *

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...

recorded their performance in 1996, selective songs from the performance appears on DVD which is on their recent reissue of '' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness''. * The music video for the song "Run Free" by

was filmed at Brixton. * "Les Enfants Sauvages" –

– Recorded March 2013, released March 2014 *

's performance at Brixton in January 2013 was recorded and is set to be released as a live DVD with bonus extras on 15 December 2014. *

– '' Live in London'' – Includes performance recorded 8 November 2014. Released 20 May 2015. *PULP – F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.I.V.E. recorded 21 December 1995. Reissued on ultimate live DVD *

recorded 4 songs performed at Brixton in February 2005 (Sonne, Ohne dich, Rein Raus and Feuer Frei) and released on

. *

Sea Girls Sea Girls are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2015, comprising four members: Henry Camamile (vocals, guitar), Rory Young (lead guitar), Andrew Dawson (bass), and Oli Khan (drums). The band are known for their indie anthems and e ...

launched a short documentary titled "Brixton at Night", that featured fan interviews and live performance clips from the band's sold-out headline show at Brixton Academy in 2021.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1929 establishments in England 1983 establishments in England Theatres completed in 1929 Music venues completed in 1983 Music venues in London Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Lambeth Art Deco architecture in London Former cinemas in London Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Lambeth Academy Brixton

Academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

2022 disasters in the United Kingdom