The Lathums | O2 Academy Brixton, London (22/03/25)

The Lathums are truly a fairytale in the world of indie rock n’roll, and maybe Alexandra Palace is next.

★★★★★★★★☆☆

“Make love not war” chants a crowd of 5,000 commanded by the formidable Alex, as The Lathums reach their largest London headline to date. In their words, they came from nothing and the fans gave them everything. That statement has never felt truer, in a grand venue like O2 Academy Brixton, the final stage on the live circuit before arenas.

A lot has happened since their last record, namely, frontman Alex prioritising his health, which ultimately led to their best yet - Matter Does Not Define.

Tracks from the album have already skyrocketed to the top of their streaming profiles, with Heartbreaker already becoming a fan favourite.

After proudly walking onto the stage with cowboy hats and roaring applause, the band quickly whipped into the rock-packed No Direction, bursting with pummelling guitars inspired by what could be compared to Miles Kane.

Next up was Say My Name, another huge track from the Wigan boys. One which prompted an incredible crowd rendition at every given moment, the band basking in this lyrical power. This beaming audience was only just getting fired up, for what looked to be one of the best of the tour so far.

Following these two energetic tracks, they eased into the Beach-Boy grooves of Leave No Stone Unturned. The same could be said with Reflections Of Lessons Learnt, another new one back-to-back. It was evident how much the quartet was enjoying touring this new record.

A little later on, they dived into the aforementioned Heartbreaker. Leaving the addictive guitar melody and chorus to one side, the track encouraged a ‘Make Peace Not War’ chant midway through. Seeing Brixton light up with 5,000 people will never get old, and all the more special for a band this deserving.

Elsewhere, the special evening saw a solo acoustic version of Unrequited Love and All My Life, as well as the gorgeous How Beautiful Life Can Be.

“I know you’re far away but I can see you. Strong glasses these…” jokes Alex.

No gig would be complete with The Great Escape and Fight On, either, which made their way to some of the last tracks on the setlist. Each caused an eruption in the crowd, full of joy. Perhaps more noteworthy was the appearance of Alex singing Long Shadows from the balcony. It’s one of our favourites from the record. The way it builds is just bad-ass. So, this was certainly one to remember, and a nice gift for those who had seated tickets - don’t need strong glasses when you’re in the balcony stalls, eh?

Before finishing up, Brixton was treated to two more stellar performances, the aptly titled Stellar Cast and Sad Face Baby. The night started and ended with their mouthwatering guitars.

For a band that has toured so extensively over the last few years, to see them arrive at such a monumental venue, and really own the moment, felt powerful. We’ll say it again - they came from nothing, and the fans gave them everything. The Lathums are truly a fairytale in the world of indie rock n’roll, and maybe Alexandra Palace is next.

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