Everything Everything at the Brixton Academy

A particularly adoring crowd welcomes Everything Everything in Brixton Friday night, where the Academy offers feasting ears and a packed venue of exuberant backup singers. The Manchester-based band unloads a visceral performance not easily forgotten.

Frontman Jonathan Higgs dons a bizarre, freemason-like tunic and, with his flagrant dance antics, embodies the audience’s quickening pulse. The noticeably young crowd chimes in at every refrain of Spring / Sun / Winter / Dread when Higgs croons “I don’t want to get older”, as if chanting the lyric were a wilful agent against maturing. Seemingly to the band’s glee, at times Higgs is barely heard over the crowd’s unwavering sing-along. A dozen or so well-placed strobe lights tease concertgoers, because who doesn’t love strobing effects when used sparingly and with prudence? The performers’ silhouettes are cast on a dynamic background during other parts of the show, creating a simple yet altered effect.

Despite being a self-proclaimed pop band, Everything Everything is still difficult to describe as such. The group’s music is defined by the culmination of diverse styles, and their songs are typically unpredictable in composition with penetrating riffs, complex rhythms, alluring lyrics and unforeseen hooks. The band is fearless in defying genres, drawing approaches to writing, producing and recording music from progressive rock, R&B and electronic to produce an audibly skilful and intricate collaboration. Due to their singularly eclectic sound, it is unlikely that each of Everything Everything’s songs will be pleasing to the same ear, however that hardly matters at the show tonight.

The setlist is curated well, showcasing many songs from Get to Heaven, their latest and arguably most potent album yet. Beginning with a few of the new record’s more upbeat tracks and choice hits from their previous albums, Everything Everything brings the house down to a cathartic lull towards the middle of the show only to finish off with their most charged and boisterous songs, featuring MY KZ, UR BF and Distant Past in the encore.

Everything Everything proves itself to be an indefinable act that quite literally encompasses it all.

Frances Lai
Photos: Melissa Harper

For further information about Everything Everything and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Distant Past here: