Live Review: Peach Pit - O2 Brixton Academy, London 11/04/2025
Canada’s indie dream band Peach Pit leave Brixton Academy absolutely glowing with their feel-good energy on Friday evening.
Vancouver indie-pop band Peach Pit, who are currently on tour through the UK and Europe celebrating the release of their 2024 album, Magpie, were the perfect way to end a sunny day on Friday. With support from American singer-songwriter Briston Moroney, the band kicked off everyone’s weekend with an evening of fun at Brixton’s O2 Academy on Friday night. It had been the hottest day in London so far this year, the air was warm, summer was teasing Londoners, and a warm golden hue was hanging over Brixton Academy as crowds queued to get in to see Peach Pit. It was abuzz, smiles on every face, people dizzy from the sun and the excitement for the evening that lay ahead of them.
Briston Moroney, a singer-songwriter from Tennessee, was the perfect opening act before Peach Pit. Briston’s voice is sweet like caramel, soft, nostalgic for a feeling you can’t quite put your finger on. With support from his band, Moroney’s music is lively, fun, and has the crowd swaying along from the opening song Body. Moroney is charismatic, jokes with his audience and can think on his feet, which is what he needed to do when, shortly into his set, his guitarist ran into some technical difficulties. Whilst crew worked on addressing it, Moroney joked that “improv can solve all problems” and, taking a word suggested by a gig-goer (“soup”), played a neat little instrumental piece with his drummer. Technical issues sorted, the singer and his band carried on, putting on a high-energy set that included new song Tomatoes, Real Good Swimmer and closing with a fan favourite, Freakin’ Out on the Interstate. The crowd, now lightly sun-kissed by Moroney, were warmed up, muscles loose, ready for Peach Pit.
Cheers of excitement filled the space when the Canadian four-piece Peach Pit walked onto the stage, reaching the high ceilings of Brixton Academy, as the band went straight into the opener, the title track of their latest album, Magpie. The crowd cheered, dancing along to the fuzzy guitars and quick-paced drums, while lead singer Neil Smith’s sleepy-sweet voice serenaded them, the crowd offering backing vocals for the chorus “we ain’t gonna get you outta here / no, we ain’t gonna get you out of here”.
Peach Pit have been growing a following for quite some time and have been releasing music at an impressive pace since their EP Sweet FA in 2016, followed shortly by their debut album Being So Normal. It meant that their set on Friday night appeased fans old and new, spanning across their impressive discography. Following Magpie was Drop the Guillotine, a track that appears on both their EP and debut album, although most are more familiar with the latter. The distinctive, quirky guitar opener of the track was met with whoops of approval, as guitarist Christopher Vanderkooy, and bassist Peter Wilton bounced around the front of the stage, guitars in tow. The energy from the band is contagious, pouring into the crowd below, arms reaching for the impossibly high ceilings, as they sing along word for word with Smith, to beloved song Black Liquorice.
The Canadian band’s sound is entirely their own: warm, light, somewhat nostalgic. If Summer had a soundtrack, it would be predominantly Peach Pit - their indie/pop/folk blend will have you craving road trips and sea swims, and while we might only be in April, it felt like the height of June in the Academy on Friday. Peach Pit flowed through tracks like Up Granville, Am I Your Girl, Vickie, and Outta Here seamlessly, while a crowd dressed in summer shirts and flowing skirts danced with reckless abandon. Smith has all of the energy and charisma of a true frontman, interacting with the crowd and telling stories about certain tracks. Before the plucky country strings of Give Up Baby Go started, he asks “who’s the drunkest?” in the crowd, before telling stories from a period of his life where he “used to always be the drunkest at shows.”
The beautiful thing about Peach Pit is their ability to address darker topics in a light-hearted way, and although Give Up Baby Go is evidently a track about battling with alcohol, it’s upbeat, light, had the crowd bouncing on their feet. The band’s energy never once dipped, and neither did the crowd's, as they clapped along with Mikey Pascuzzi on drums during Techno Show, dancing under hazy pink and white lights.
Peach Pit took a moment to give their love to London, with Smith talking about how it is one of their favourite places to play and reminiscing on past shows. Peach Pit’s hard work and dedication to their music is evident, their growth obvious as the leading man goes through previous venues - MOTH Club, Scala, Kentish Town Forum, Troxy and now, their biggest London show to date, Brixton Academy. Acknowledging their newer fans, Smith dedicated the final part of the set to the ones who had been there since the beginning before they played the haunting, heavy Alrighty Aphrodite from the album Being So Normal. Smith moved across the stage at speed, soaking up the roars from fans below who were screaming the words back at the band.
Shampoo Bottles, from their 2020 album You and Your Friends, was like a karaoke scene, with the crowd almost drowning Smith’s vocals. Those who stood on the outskirts of the crowd spun each other round, dancing and singing to each other as if they were at a festival and not an indoor venue. Peach Pit finished with Private Presley, a track that is all-consuming generally, but live is powerful, unforgiving, transcending - “love me tender like what keeps you well”. A white billowing curtain rises in front of the stage, Peach Pit’s shadows enlarged behind it, accompanied by flashing yellow lights, as they play out the dramatic end of the track and disappear.
The disappearance is short, as, of course, they played an encore. Neil Smith came out by himself for the first track, where he spoke of Peach Pit’s formation and how his friendship with guitarist Chris blossomed before he performed a solo of the song Peach Pit, their title track from the Sweet FA EP. For the first time, the crowd were quiet(er), captivated by Smith’s solo performance. The rest of the band came out for the true finale, Tommy’s Party, where gig-goers slung their arms over each other’s shoulders, swaying gently from side to side, the sun setting for the evening.
As the band stood at the end to take in the well-deserved cheers, there was a glow amongst the crowd. Peach Pit had left them all sun-kissed and ready for more.
Words by Angela English
Photography by Cameron Cookson
