Babyshambles at Brixton Academy

17^th November 2025

Glory Matondo

Shot by Nick Bennett

Glory Matondo Shot by Nick Bennett

17 November 2025

20 years after the release of their debut, Down in Albion, an album that famously defied the industry by spawning three top ten singles without major label backing – Babyshambles brought their high-octane reunion tour to the O2 Academy in Brixton, their first London show since 2014. The sold-out venue was immediately charged, and the sheer sense of occasion was intense, setting the stage for an evening defined by kinetic energy and unburdened enthusiasm.

Emerging from the darkness to deafening cheers and a wave of adoration, the band ignited the room with Killamangiro. The crowd was immediately galvanised by Pete Doherty’s passionately strained vocal delivery, which felt as visceral as it was emotive. This was matched by Mick Whitnall’s searing, declaring fretwork that sliced through the booming soundscape and set the tone for the entire gig. This established a potent and exhilarating benchmark that will be permanently remembered by everyone in attendance.

Continuing the momentum of their opening, the musicians gave another blistering performance, this time with the song Delivery. Here, the rhythm section was the heartbeat: Adam Ficek’s crisp drumming and Drew McConnell’s dynamic basslines were the defining highlight, underscoring the chemistry that makes this quartet so magnetic. This sense of cooperation continued as Carry on Up the Morning saw the group perform with close-knit synchronicity, moving as one cohesive unit across the stage. This track, in particular, demonstrated the collective musicianship, serving as a powerful counterpoint to the more unpredictable interludes of the night. The sheer force of the percussion during Beg, Steal or Borrow further surged the audience into a collective frenzy, filling every corner of the venue.

The spectacle remained intense and vital until the final moments. Though occasional flat and out-of-tune vocals, a sometimes-mediocre stage presence, and a passive response to the newest reggae-ska-pop single, Dandy Hooligan, briefly tested the night’s flow, the artists saved their most formidable contribution for the encore. They delivered Pipedown with a renewed, fiery conviction before concluding with a tribute to their late colleague Patrick Walden with the inevitable F**k Forever. The hall reverberated in unison, and the band embraced each other before leaving the stage to a final, echoing sea of cheers.

This monumental return to the capital was far more than a retrospective. Babyshambles unequivocally proved they are not mere sellers of past success, but are a relevant and intoxicating live act. They are proof that good music still prevails, offering a chaotic yet compelling spectacle, and have, in fact, deepened their commitment to this erratic, yet beautiful musical legacy.

Glory Matondo
Photos: Nick Bennett

For further information and future events, visit Babyshambles’s website here.

Watch the video for F*ck Forever here: