Live Review: Daniel Caesar - O2 Brixton Academy, London 16/10/2019
When GRAMMY award winner Daniel Caesar comes to wrap up his latest UK tour with a night at Brixton Academy, there was only one thing it was going to be; magical.
As he took to the stage, it was as if a floodlight came on with him as thousands of phone flashes came on hand in hand with the cheers. Considering the calming and hypnotising manner of his singing, there’s no wonder how Caesar has the crowd at his very command.
Opening up with the infectious ‘CYANIDE’ taken from his latest album, Daniel wasted no time in bringing out guests. Midway through the first song, Jamaican artist Koffee took to the stage to add her remixed verses. Much to the joy of everyone, the high standard continued with more guests coming out for the second song. With Sean Collier and Jacob Collier providing help with ‘RESTORE THE FEELING’, it was time to take it down a step afterwards.
Daniel’s captivating voice along with the mesmerising harmonies of his backing singers took you a world away and was enough to have you completely forget you were in a crowd of thousands. It’s no mean feat giving Brixton academy the feel of an intimate venue, and he was doing just that.There was no need for flashy stage visuals, just a pair of huge white sheets to provide silhouettes for the band, with occasional projections on them.
The intimacy was abruptly interrupted and you remembered just how packed the place was when the first few notes of ‘Get You’ were heard. Arguably his standout single, it was clear how much of a hit it really was, with not a single quiet voice in the academy. Following one hit with another, the screams and cheers carried on with ‘Best Part’.
Coming back on for an encore, a surprise to fans was a cover, John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’. The beauty of his take on the classic stunned everyone, just him and an acoustic guitar was enough to silence the whole room. The night was ended exactly the way fans wanted, with Caesar playing “FRONTAL LOBE MUZIK” after chants for that very song. Two albums in, it is clear Daniel Caesar is well in the swing of things, as not a single face left the night without a smile or sense of joy.
Words and Photography by James Baker