The future of British garage rock, Wunderhorse, revealed a beautiful range of emotions on the 10th of October at the Brixton Academy. Here’s my live report.
The electric and eager atmosphere spreads quickly through the queue. But the audience isn’t much calmer inside the venue—just a bit more settled. For Wunderhorse’s concert at the Brixton Academy, the air is filled with a kind of new nostalgia. The 2000s linger in the room, without entirely taking over or outstaying its welcome. It’s the kind of vibe that you can easily catch when listening to the band.
Before they take to the stage, it’s HighSchool’s turn to prove themselves. In the Academy, the name evokes a smile. While their first track, Only a Dream, is promising, the second, August 19, already feels repetitive. The vocals are less precise, and the addition of a female voice barely registers. She’s in the middle of their line, on stage, but sings very late, and like the rest of the band, everything is quite static. Singing with hands behind their back doesn’t help either.
Musically, it’s quite laid-back in tempo, a bit raw at heart, but perhaps a bit too subdued for the textures they’re aiming for. A bad day for the band or maybe just not my cup of tea, I wasn’t entirely won over. It takes until Jerry, mid-set, for a more captivating sound, very 80s pop with a hefty dose of melancholy. Nostalgia shines through their notes, but the band still seems to be searching for their voice—literally, as their singer should aim for a higher range. Their cover of My Pal by God also shows this. It stood out for its energy, ending the set with a proper warm-up for the audience.
Between the 80s and the 2000s, there are, of course, the 90s. And it’s this romantic grunge essence that Wunderhorse brings forward in their music and stage presence. Though minimal, their stage setup adds some interesting elements, albeit not fully utilised. The core of the show is the music, and that’s clear despite the effort of the logo suspended in front of a white backdrop. The lighting shifts from blue to pink to green while maintaining beautiful white highlights for contrast. It’s sometimes what’s missing a bit—contrast—especially on the backdrop, where shadows form but aren’t always well-defined.
In terms of sound, it’s raw and unfiltered, and Jacob Slater completely surrenders to the moment. The tracks Midas, Leader of the Pack, and Rain stand out to me with their pure, no-frills energy, built on rich textures and emotion. Meanwhile, Emily, Purple, and Silver make an impact with their gentler rhythms. The textures remain strong and saturated, but the vocals take on a softer, more laid-back quality. It’s vulnerable and sober, yet honest and heart-wrenching.
While there’s little interaction between the band and the audience, it’s because everything is conveyed through this vulnerability. And that’s why so many find themselves shouting the lyrics, perched on their mates’ shoulders, despite security trying to bring them down. The image is always a striking one but feels more special this time.
The atmosphere is wonderful, set in the present, as shown during One for the Pigeons, an unexpected addition to the setlist used to fill a technical issue, or Superman with its hypnotic intro. For the encore, Teal and July seal the deal.
In short, while it wasn’t my favourite live performance of the year—since I would have liked more interaction and contrast—Wunderhorse managed to showcase their passion in Brixton. At the very least, they piqued my interest enough to recommend them to rock fans, garage or otherwise. Keep an eye out for their next shows!
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