When the Brixton Weatherspoons (you know the one) turns into a sudden goth convention on a casual Wednesday, you know a good night is about to unfurl around the corner. I was making my way through the impressive selection of Tool t-shirts, battle jackets, platform boots and ripped fishnets to arrive at the Brixton Academy early – the anticipation ahead of A Perfect Circle’s first out of two sold out nights at the iconic venue was palpable on the streets of Brixton and the steady stream of black-clothed disciples felt giddy as they crossed the threshold.
Reclus.É
I always turn up for the supports. Often the bands that get me the most excited on gig or festival line ups are the ones that you need a magnifying glass for. And tonight’s support was worth turning up early for. Reclus.É are a brand new project from Soren Bryce of Tummyache and Daniel P. Carter and after releasing two singles – ‘A Muted TV’ and cover of Portishead’s ‘Roads’ – this was their first ever live performance as a band, and it instantly felt like one of those nights when you feel lucky to have been there.
Taking their name from Élisée Reclus, French anarchist geographer, they process the idiosyncrasies of being a human in this specific point in history through music. The visualiser for the single features the words ‘THE WORLD CAN’T TAKE MUCH MORE’, and it set a tone that pulled me in immediately. Blending punk rage with cinematic melancholy and post hardcore melodies, they won the audience over instantly. Soren’s vocals and hypnotic stage presence and Daniel’s musicianship resulted in contagious energy. Sonically and intellectually, it’s as if they have opened my brain, picked the favourite corners of my music taste and my non-fiction bookshelves and thrown them into a shaker than produces the tastiest cocktail – the one you like to sip in a quiet corner in the hope that it lasts for hours, knowing that you will ask for your glass to be refilled as soon as it’s finished. I am also immediately bought into the concept – as someone who gets heavily impacted by the [gestures at everything] state of the world, I love the artwork nods to geographic iconography and the timer that races in their visualisers. I get it, I love it and I want more of it. Because of the cameras strapped to me and the venue rules, I was deprived of most of their set, which meant my appetite has been truly whet and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
Jehnny Beth
Jehnny Beth was the perfect second support – and an artist that I have been looking forward to catching for quite some time, but timings weren’t aligning. You Heartbreaker, You, Jehnny’s second solo album, took her to a territory that’s a lot more industrial and punk than her previous output. Continuing on the themes of [gestures at everything] started off by Reclus.É, it’s become evident that A Perfect Circle put their support line up together quite carefully. Bursting out onto the stage with ‘Broken Rib’, the message was clear:
Emergency is evident now, wake up
You’re not listening, temper, temper
Inner revolt
Hurting the one you love the most
We learn to breathe with a broken rib
By the second song she jumped the barrier and got in among the crowd, who were all in awe of the energy, the rage and the undisputed showmanship. She wouldn’t stay in one place for longer than few seconds, making not just the stage, but the whole venue her playground. That undeniable command of the room and the clear message that the crowd immediately gets behind is what makes a gig not only memorable – it makes you feel alive. Yet again, as I was marched away from the photo pit, I yearned to see more of one of my standout albums of 2026 live. Next time, Jehnny Beth.
A Perfect Circle
And then came the time for the main meal. Once the sound of Black Sabbath‘s ‘War Pigs’ rang out, the band started to take places behind their instruments to the rhythm of ‘The Package’ until there was only one space left vacant – a huge platform in the middle of the giant projection screen filing up the whole back of the stage, with a standing microphone eagerly awaiting the arrival of Maynard James Keenan, who announced himself with the words:
It smells like sex in here – is it you?
Before A Perfect Circle filled the eagerly awaiting ears of the five thousand strong audience with thunderous, theatrical metal, Maynard asked everyone to “Put your phones in your butts, don’t annoy your neighbour. You can take them out for the last song, for a souvenir” – and everyone obliged. There was no need for Yonder pouches or phone lockers, everyone just listened to the man whose musical genius they have worshipped for the best parts of the last three decades and simply did what he asked (big apologies from me, who kept taking notes with screen brightness dimmed to the very bottom).
It was a stunning set, theatrical, poised, musically perfect. Josh Freese looked blissful behind his drum kit, with the light hitting his face in magical patterns – he made his drumming look easy, which only made me more in awe of his talent. Billy Howerdel in front of him stayed focused and kept delivering crushing riffs with maximum concentration. Meanwhile Maynard James Keenan commanded from his platform, avoiding the spotlight and letting his voice and stage presence do the talking.
The first four songs followed the opening sequence of Eat The Elephant, easing the audience that grew up listening to albums start to finish into a familiar territory. The fifth track was the masterpiece ‘Weak And Powerless’, which seemed to have everyone in a state of. Announcing the follow up, Maynard quipped “We haven’t played the next song in a long time, so if it sounds like shit it’s… Josh’s fault” and after pausing for a moment just brief enough for a fan to scream out “WE LOVE YOU MAYNARD!”, they launched into a perfect rendition of ‘Rose’ from their debut Mer De Noms. And this is when the setlist from the two nights at Brixton Academy diverged, with each one getting their own rare performances. My night (night 1) got treated to ‘Kindred’, a cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, which hit different sung by Maynard, and also provided a thread linking back to the messages shared by both opening acts.
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
‘The Outsider’ opened to the rumbling sound of an echo of five thousand voices singing along from the very first note – and then we got an intermission. A neat 10 minutes (with a countdown projecting on the screen), with soothing tones of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, and a huge communal countdown once we got to the last 5 seconds. Then the rejuvenated A Perfect Circle returned for the perfect grand finale starting with ‘Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums’ and the energy of the room started to build. After the last notes of ‘The Noose’ rang out, Maynard said only two words: “Strap in” – and we were treated to the live debut of their new single ‘Starless’ – their first new music in nearly a decade. This was another one of those moments that all of us in that room will look back on and say “I was there when they played it live for the first time”. After ‘3 Libras’ Maynard nonchalantly announced “We made it, you can take your stupid phones out now”, giving the crowd what they were waiting for: ‘Judith’.
Not to repeat myself, but it was one of those nights when you feel grateful to be alive. To see a band that shaped a good couple of generations of music fans, with a frontman so charismatic, deliver not only their new music alongside pieces that influenced how heavy and alternative music can be made, but also introduce new voices that carry their torch and win over the crowd – in Reclus.É’s case for the very first time – it felt simply monumental. Their tour continues across Europe, with another one of my favourites A.A. Williams opening on several nights. If for some reason you were putting off getting that ticket until the last minute – simply don’t. And if you missed out on A Perfect Circle, Maynard also reminded us that he will return in November – this time with Puscifer. Don’t sleep on that one.
A Perfect Circle
Set 1
- War Pigs
- The Package
- Disillusioned
- The Contrarian
- The Doomed
- Weak and Powerless
- Rose
- Kindred
- Imagine
- TalkTalk
- The Outsider
Set 2
- Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
- The Noose
- Starless
- 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix)
- Judith
