The legendary south London music venue, Brixton Academy, reopened last night (April 19) after being closed for 16 months following a fatal crowd crushing incident that left two people dead in December 2022 during an Asake concert. A third person was critically injured. The venue was allowed to retain its license and reopen following 77 “robust” safety measures being put in place including a new ticketing system, centralised control and command centre and new security and management. Nirvana UK and The Smyths tribute bands were the first to welcome fans back in the sold-out gig on the exact date 30 years after Nirvana was due to play the venue.
Ahead of their performance, Jez Fox, the frontman of Nirvana UK, recounted the history of the venue and the band’s connection to it. The band played many classic songs including “Breed”, “In Bloom”, “Come As You Are”, “About a Girl”, “Heart-Shaped Box”, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, with Fox paying homage to the late Kurt Cobain who died just days before the scheduled Nirvana performance in 1994. The band wrapped up with a guitar-smashing performance reminiscent of Cobain’s shows in the 90s.
The Smyths headlined the night, dedicating “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” to the two people who had died in the fatal incident at the venue. Graham Sampson, the band’s frontman, expressed his gratitude at being able to perform at Brixton Academy again and paid tribute to the venue’s past. Other popular bands such as Editors, The Black Keys, Kamasi Washington, Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend are also set to perform in the coming months.
Fans of the historic venue were excited about the reopening. They praised the venue’s significance, with some calling it the “best venue in London”. The NTIA (Night Time Industries Association) described its reopening as “a new era of crowd safety within performance spaces” and praised the “potency of collective action and the enduring passion for live and electronic music culture.” UK Foo Fighters and Definitely Mightbe (a tribute to Oasis) will be the next tribute bands to perform at the iconic venue which has successfully reopened with huge measures in place
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