Photo: Jay Russell

Live Review: Rise Against – Nowhere Generation Tour – O2 Academy Brixton, London

Brixton has always been an area synonymous with fighting for equality and unity within its community, so what better place for Rise Against to showcase their blend of melodic punk than the prestigious Brixton Academy. Accompanied by the Pop Punk rockers The Story So Far, the event promised to be an explosive one. Here’s what went down!

As the auditorium filled, The Story So Far took to the stage opening with ‘Things I Can’t Change’ before launching straight into ‘Nerve’. The crowd was filling up and the energy levels in the venue were rising as The Story So Far continued their set with ‘Keep This Up’ followed by a powerful performance of ‘Proper Dose’ which saw the first pit of the night open up. ‘High Regard’ kept the energy high, ‘Bad Luck’ brought out a more chaotic nature in the crowd, while the band’s cover of Millecolin’s ‘No Cigar’ went down extremely well!

The band opted to just jump from song to song to maximize the amount they could give the Brixton Crowd in their short set time and with ‘Heavy Gloom’ and ‘Solo’ pulling on the crowds heart strings, The Story So Far was solidifying their place in the minds of those in attendance. Continuing with the more emotional passage of their set was ‘Upside Down’ which gave the band their loudest sing along section of the night as the Brixton faithful echoed the chorus back to them. ‘The Glass’ followed by ‘Out Of It’ set the stage for an explosive finale and that’s exactly what the band produced as they dropped ‘Quicksand’ onto the crowd which set off a chain reaction of pits, singing and dancing. Not a bad way to ensure the crowd is warmed up for a headliner!

It was finally time for a night of protesting and unification to unfold and as Rise Against took to the stage you could feel the energy hit an all time high within Brixton Academy. ‘Re-Education (Through Labor)’ opened the set before ‘Architects’ and ‘House On Fire’ tested the waters of the Brixton Academy sea. The entire floor seemed down for a party which only fueled Rise Against as they laid down stellar performances of ‘Chamber The Cartridge’ and ‘Ready To Fall’. The energy going into ‘Tragedy + Time’ was high however this would quickly be topped as ‘Satellite’ unleashed a whole new wave of passion from the London crowd.

Momentum is one of those things that can be lost as quickly as it’s gathered however Rise Against capitalized on their progression with ‘Blood To Bleed’ followed on by an emotionally driven performance of ‘Like The Angel’. For those hungry for a bit more moshing, ‘Prayer Of The Refugee’ came in the knick of time as its explosive chorus sent the pit crew into overdrive. It isn’t a Rise Against show without an acoustic section and this show was no different. ‘Swing Life Away’ and ‘Hero Of War’ captured the innocence of a rock show in its purest form. As people joined arms and sang a soul touching rendition of both tracks, you could feel a real sense of togetherness within Brixton Academy’s four walls. Closing out the set would be ‘Make It Stop (September’s Children) followed by ‘Savior’ which would send the Brixton Faithful home with a smile across their face.

This was a night full of commitment, passion and unity. Rise Against once again solidified their place in the scene while The Story So Far proved they are capable of winning over a larger crowd. Even as the fans left the venue, you could still feel the energy that was generated from such an impactful show. This was a night that many will remember for years to come.