O2 Academy Brixton, 5th December 2024
It’s not often that an upcoming artist makes a mark bold enough to rival that of mainstream legends, but Remi Wolf proves she’s one to watch and keep on all your feel-good playlists. Blending pop, funk, disco and rock, her release of Big Ideas transformed her from being a regional opener for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS Tour to performing her first headline tour worldwide.
She projects her passion across the venue from the very beginning of the concert
Infectiously energetic, vibrant, and hilarious, Wolf puts on a show that makes the whole crowd jump to their feet and completely disconnect from the outside world at O2 Academy Brixton. In fact, after her first few songs, she kicks off the show by screaming to the crowd, “I need you to be so fucking stupid tonight, guys,” before taking them through elaborate warm-up exercises. From twerking in the pit to belting nonsensical noises back at her, the first ten minutes of the show strip away any self-consciousness her fans might feel. Her demands are initially met with laughter and slight hesitation, but that soon evaporates as the audience falls in love with her outrageously spontaneous persona.
Sure enough, Wolf carries this energy throughout the entire show – bouncing from end to end, dancing, squatting and jumping, rarely still. However, this dynamic performance does not take away from Wolf’s impressively fierce vocals. She projects her passion across the venue from the very beginning of the concert. Her opening song, ‘Cookies & Cream’, allows her to immediately show off her powerful voice when she sings, “Is it wrong? Are you fearful? / Do you regret? Be careful.” The melody climbs even higher the second time the chorus hits, building up to a breathtaking belt of “If she’s perfect, what are you here for?”. The strength in her voice isn’t always evident in the studio versions of her songs, which makes The Big Ideas Tour an even more striking experience. Coupled with the venue’s stunning acoustics and charming interior, it makes for an entirely immersive and euphoric show.
Every concertgoer feels this when Wolf decides to perform ‘Soup’ standing still in the centre of the stage. This is the only quiet moment of the concert, the only time when there is little movement. With ‘Soup’ being one of her more sentimental hits, the tranquillity adds to the bittersweet lyricism such as “Stay, stick around / Please don’t get in your car” and “They told me to leave, but I don’t want to leave without you”. Her voice rises above the soft instrumental from the band before jumping back into a fun, percussive performance by the second chorus.
Wolf clearly cherishes her fans, too, stating that without them, performing is “boring as fuck”
The band themselves get their moments to shine, taking the stage to strum guitars an inch away from each other, playing to themselves as much as to the crowd and genuinely appearing to adore every second of it. The crowd already knows and loves the bassist Maddie Jay, who doubles as the incredible opening act for the show. Wolf even joins the band as she runs to the back of the stage for a riveting drum solo to ‘Kangaroo’. She dances with each of them, and the chemistry is undeniable – every performer adds to Wolf’s fun-loving, sunny energy.
The stage lights follow them through the songs, moving from soft blues and purples for ‘Kangaroo’ to deep reds for ‘Sexy Villain’ – perfectly supporting the musicians. The venue lights up with flashing colours as Wolf delivers her signature high kicks during ‘Pitiful’ while singing “Yuck!” with the audience. When she performs her highly anticipated ‘Toro’ dance with her band – after declaring “This song is about a big dick!” – the fans on the floor erupt into chaos, attempting to mimic and record her simultaneously. Without a doubt, sore feet in the morning are more than worth it for them. Wolf clearly cherishes her fans, too, stating that without them, performing is “boring as fuck”.
From unexpected emotional moments to raunchy, unserious humour, Wolf takes her audience through an all-encompassing journey. She precedes ‘Cinderella’ by explaining she’s moving on “to bigger and better things – like having sex in hotel lobbies!” – referencing the hook “Me and the boys in the hotel lobby”. Her concert is full of fun, impromptu moments – including her iconic improvised song she creates from words that the fans shout out to her. At Brixton, these are “Rosy”, “Woody”, and “Capricorn”, which she shapes into a light-hearted, somewhat absurd anthem featuring lyrics like “he’s a little rusty now / with a little woody caca! / a little woody caca!” A staple at every show of the tour, this segment adds an unplanned, unique touch to the setlist that lets the crowd participate too.
Wolf surpasses every expectation with The Big Ideas Tour
At the end of the show, the stage goes dark, and chants of “One more song!” rise from the stalls. Wolf doesn’t keep her fans waiting too long – the lights come on, and we see her band again through the smoke. Wolf emerges, springing onto the stage, going straight into ‘Photo ID’, a fan-favourite. As the last burst of energy of the night, the crowd is the loudest it can get – saying goodbye in their own way. Wolf leaves O2 Academy Brixton with far too much to admire – her captivating production, powerful yet quirky lyrics, unbelievably beautiful vocals and incomparable stage presence.
Wolf surpasses every expectation with The Big Ideas Tour and reminds her fans to breathe and have fun. From her music to her style, she values authenticity above all – and this ripples through her fans and inevitably connects each of them to her. She gains the “symbiotic relationship” she wants with her audience and maintains it until the very end – leaving everyone desperate for one more song.
Words and photos: Driti Shah, no use without permission.
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