Gang of Youths at Brixton Academy

Spring has finally sprung in London, and fans arrived at the Brixton Academy on their bicycles in white worn trainers to see the Australian alternative rock band Gang of Youths touring with their new album, Angel in Realtime. The full house encouraged the musicians with swelling applause as the clock hit nine and the magic began.

Exploding from a cloud of neon red smoke, the band opened with a collection of instruments, setting the electric and fun atmosphere of their set. Funky shirts, dancing and frontman David Le’aupepe’s skilled signature hip-shaking got the audience clapping, dancing and filming on their phones from the first minute. The Heart Is a Muscle warmed up the guitar strings and the fans, which carried until the end.

The second half of the performance commenced with Le’aupepe playing the piano and singing Brothers, which encouraged the audience to sway in unison, wrapping arms around each other’s shoulders before Let Me Down Easy – easily the biggest hit of the night, and when the violin entered, the hall exploded, the crowd screaming and singing along. It’s hard to deny the singer’s aptitude for cursing with a particular interest in the f-word, and the audience loved it.

As the band played the first notes for In the Wake of Your Leave, the lights hit the disco ball, turning the venue into a starry sky, and the fans began to sing the words, continuing long after the song was over. 

London being the band’s last stop of their world tour, Gang of Youths made sure to deliver a performance that exceeded expectations and to show no signs of tiredness; Le’aupepe screamed, “We love you!” infinite times to their fans, shaking the curly hair they know so well. This was a night and an album that will remind people of the joyous and energetic life that Gang of Youths bring. 

Csilla Tornallyay
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Gang of Youths’s website here.

Watch the video for the single In the Wake of Your Leave here: