Big Thief at Brixton Academy

Big Thief

Dylan Meek

Brixton Academy, 23 April 2026 

I braved the tube strike (and almost got stranded in Brixton!) to see Big Thief last night, my first time seeing the band in almost ten years.  It was incredible to see just how popular they've become since then (this was the first night of four sold out shows), with so many young people in attendance seeing them for the first time (for one chap behind me, it was actually his first ever gig!). But it was evident to see just why they are now so big and beloved, as they played songs from throughout their career and even a bunch of new tunes. Definitely a memorable first gig for that young chap!

I have to admit, I was kind of dreading going to Brixton Academy for this gig. Not only is it a pain to get to, but the queuing system where you seem to start off about a block away next to the skate park, just puts me off. I know I sound like an old lady, but I miss the old days when you just queued down the side of the venue. I have fond memories of doing this for Hole and Soundgarden and getting prime spots at the front. There were even a few gigs where there wasn't a barrier and you were right at the stage. I guess it was a different time and safety issues demands security guards and barriers now and it's obviously a good thing, but there were definitely some more relaxed shows where it was fun to be that much closer.

When I finally got inside, I found myself in the same spot I had been for Japanese Breakfast, which was kind of a bummer because I did feel miles away for that show even though I was at the front. The stage set-up though this time seemed a lot simpler, with the instruments all set-up in the middle, as if on a much smaller stage and there were no fancy backdrops or props. It reminded me a little of Sturgill Simpson's stage or even Jack White's: both like to have their band close to them, so they can feed off the energy from each other. It was a good sign.

Like Japanese Breakfast, the crowd for this gig was primarily young people, very different from when I saw them back in 2017, where it was much more of a mixture. Everyone around me had never seen them before, so there was a lot of excitement. One lad who had come all the way from Sheffield tried to push in beside me but I wasn't having that, particularly as he was much taller, but to be fair he was very apologetic when I called him out on it, so I couldn't be mad. I did feel a bit old though, I hopefully didn't look completely out of place. 

The support act tonight, Dylan Meek, is actually the younger brother of Big Thief co-founder Buck Meek. He arrives on stage looking like a friendly music teacher, with his long blond curly hair and a nice dark suit, taking his place at the front behind a small keyboard set-up. 

He has such a nice, friendly demeanor, it's hard not to be endeared by him and his music seems to come from another time. He sort of reminds me of Jon Brion but there's also lots of soul and jazz influences too, as well as MOR pop music: it's all very pleasant and I wonder how this young crowd will respond to him. At first, despite often talking to the audience, there was quite a bit of talking as he played (I remember one song was called Falling In Love and another, El Sol Está Aquí, was all in Spanish). He did say that back in the US he usually plays with a big soulful band, and I can imagine that is quite an experience and probably brings his melodic songs to life in a much different way. For this tour though, he is completely solo and he tells us, he has recorded the songs he's playing tonight solo in preparation for the shows and it's available on all streaming services. I must admit though, I'm more curious to hear the big band versions but it's a nice idea for sure.

Things take an upturn though when he gets the crowd participating in his set, making everyone scream when he raises his arms during one song. It feels like the whole audience start taking notice and enjoying themselves, and I can feel how he's cleverly endearing himself to a once indifferent audience. It just shows how a bit of showmanship can transform how people perceive an artist.

He then reads a quote from David Bowie about taking creative risks and I've actually found it! "If you feel safe in the area you're working in, you're not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you're capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don't feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you're just about in the right place to do something exciting."

With this said he begins a cover of Life On Mars but about halfway through, stumbles on the lyrics and asks the audience to help him out, leading to the whole of Brixton Academy singing along with him. It's a wonderful moment.

For his final song he introduces "someone very special to me" his brother Buck Meek, who comes out looking very smart in a suit (and reminding me of Seth Meyers for some reason) with a big smile on his face. Together they sing an ode to family called Brotherhood, taking alternating verses before joining together at the end. It's very sweet and completely uplifting. It's amazing how Dylan Meek took on an indifferent audience and by the end had everyone on his side and under his spell. 

I first heard about Big Thief from my much-missed friend Dan, who recommended their second album Masterpiece to me and together we went to see them play a fantastic show at the Islington Assembly Hall (which you can read here on this blog). Interestingly, Buck Meek wasn't playing with them that night. Someone in the audience asked where he was and Adrianne Lenker awkwardly told us he was at home making a solo record but they were married at that time and subsequently divorced, so that's probably what was going on behind the scenes. Thankfully they have remained friends and managed to continue working together in the band (I mean Fleetwood Mac, Rilo Kiley and No Doubt, to name a few, have done it) and I feel quite excited to see the two founders of the band play together finally.

Of course, although there was a lot of buzz surrounding them, back then they were a much smaller band and Lenker too has even paved out a successful solo career alongside her work with Big Thief, so when they finally walk on and take up their instruments the crowd go crazy. Lenker and Meek have big grins on their faces taking in this response but my eyes go towards bearded drummer James Krivchenia, who is wearing a hooded, sleeveless green dress, that actually makes him look like a medieval knight. With the outfit, the beard and the way he physically bangs away on his drums, it reminds me of Mick Fleetwood, which is no bad thing. I also like the way his drumkit is placed right in the middle of the band, rather than at the back of the stage. It makes them feel like a much closer knit unit.

Lenker herself looks so natural and cool, wearing just a white vest and blue jeans, with her hair tied up in a messy bun. She also seems to have a different guitar for every song and really sheds on many of the songs. I found her guitar prowess jaw-dropping at times: it made me so happy to see a woman who is a genuinely incredible and badass guitarist.

To begin with though, she giggles and invites Dylan Meek back on stage, saying "he's also like a brother to me". With Meek playing the accordion and Lenker on acoustic guitar, she says they are going to play a new song which turns out to be a lovely country number called Cruel And Beautiful World, which really showcases Lenker's unique and powerful voice.

"We're going to play some old songs, some new songs and some in-between songs," Lenker tells us before the full band joined in for the title track of the new album, Double Infinity: a beautifully yearning song that slowly builds. It's a pretty amazing sound given there is only four of them onstage, including new bassist Joshua Crumbly, who fits nicely in, a steady and solid figure by Lenker's side.

After this Lenker really does keep to her word as pretty much every second song is a new track. My favourites included a powerful song called Beautiful World, with Lenker strongly strumming her guitar over Dylan-esque storytelling, with a chorus that saw her yell out "it's a fucked up world, why must everything be conquered, but it's so beautiful." 

There was another fantastic new song (apparently called Christmas Day) that started as Lenker's solo track Real House. The gentle shuffle of that song featuring memories of her childhood home, that seamlessly turned into a much angrier rocking song that ended with Lenker going absolutely crazy on her guitar, the whole song ending with a slew of gloriously noisy feedback. 

There was also a cool sounding upbeat, punky number called Mr Man, which almost had Lenker doing a Lou Reed-esque speak-singing and ended with her and Crumbly vibing together as she soloed away. The final one I remember, the moody Pterodactyl, had a Neil Young feel with Lenker singing "I'm a Pterodactyl, flying over a river of dreams". Funnily enough this riffing song, with shifting rhythms and feel, also reminded me of an obscure Juliana Hatfield song called Waves, which I've always loved, so I was immediately endeared to this one. 

It wasn't all new tunes though, the set also had plenty of old favourites, although nothing from their debut Capacity or 2019's U.F.O.F., but every other record was represented and of all these older songs, it was a big of a thrill to hear Real Love live again. Masterpiece is the album that introduced me to the band, so to hear just that one song from it did make the night feel special and a nice throwback to when I first saw them, especially in sea of so much unfamiliar material, despite how good it all sounded.

I think the best part of the show though, was right in the middle with two songs that sounded absolutely incredible together, first the tension-fueled track Not, which just kept building up to a truly gut-wrenching Neil Young-esque guitar solo from Lenker that had her feedbacking sounds from her amplifier, until the whole band gently fell back and the song beautifully came to an end.

But then to follow this with the raw and emotion Vampire Empire, with Lenker's high vocals on the chorus, giving me chills throughout. Honestly, if I had only heard these two songs (oh and maybe Real Love Too), that alone would have made my night and I've have gone home happy.

In fact, Big Thief played for almost two hours!  The main set ended with Sparrow, which started haunting, and folky and by the end had Lenker screaming and bashing away on her guitar, feeling like a cathartic end to the show.

Thankfully the crowd called for more and the band were enticed back onto the stage, this time with ambiant musician Laraaji in two. He worked with them on their latest record so the encore comprised of three songs from the album: Words, Los Angeles and Incomprehensible, with Laraaji joining them on zither and backing vocals.

I had to leave during this final song, as the crowd joyfully sang along, in order to catch the final tube of the night (which I did, but I still got stranded when I realised I couldn't make my connection! Thankfully a bus ride got me to a train station that finally got me home). I think the band must have played to almost 11pm, it was definitely a long show, which I'm not always in favour of these days, but this one didn't feel like a slog, even though there was so much unfamiliar material being played.

Big Thief is definitely a band that benefits from its unique chemistry but there is something completely magnetic about Lenker herself that makes the whole thing so compelling. She feels raw and truthful, and like the greatest country singers, always feels like she has that sob in her voice, like she is feeling and remembering everything that has inspired her songs and lyrics.

It's also just wonderful seeing a woman who is such a cool and fantastic guitarist. Obviously there are plenty of fantastic female guitarists, but I remember a time when so many women in music were made fun of or considered not as good as the men. There is no way in hell anyone could watch Lenker play though and see her as secondary in any way. I loved watching her and while Buck Meek himself is a hugely talented guitarist too who often soloed during the songs, there was something so special when Lenker did it and like my favourite Neil Young, I could feel the passion and emotion through every note. 

This was the first night at four sold out shows at Brixton Academy, so Big Thief are no secret anymore and judging from the response they got, are very much beloved. I can definitely see them moving up in even bigger venues next time. I mean, they could without a doubt sell out the Royal Albert Hall or even an arena, so I am glad I got to see them one last time in a venue like this (even if the Academy is far from my favourite these days).