Cage the Elephant at Brixton Academy

Kentucky six-piece Cage the Elephant return to the UK for their first tour since releasing their sixth studio album, Neon Pill, last May. The alternative rockers have a healthy back catalogue spanning almost two decades, and they’ve managed to build up a reputation as a unique and thrilling live act. Tonight’s show is sold out, marking the first of two nights the band will play at none other than South London’s Brixton Academy.

Singer Matt Shultz bursts onto the stage with a hefty bunch of backing lights, followed by an impressive fire display, and the audience is visibly roused. The group kicks off with Broken Boy, the opening track from their critically acclaimed album Social Cues, injecting a punk-infused energy into the live performance.

While the tour is generally seen as supporting last year’s Neon Pill release, the record accounts for less than a quarter of tonight’s setlist – noticeably omitting the lead single Out Loud. It’s understandable, though, as the set is packed with CTE’s signature anarchic indie energy, and perhaps the song’s emotive balladry is better saved for another moment.

Previous albums Tell Me I’m Pretty, Melaphobia and Social Cues are the big hitters tonight, but nobody can deny the pull of the band’s first single. 2008’s Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked is a prime example of timeless alt-indie, drawing on blues influences and capturing the CTE’s swaggering attitude – one that, thankfully, has never faded.

Shultz has an unbelievable amount of energy, dashing around the stage with speed and charisma, yet his voice never falters. During the inevitable encore, we’re treated to another original banger, Back Against the Wall, followed by 2011’s nostalgic Shake Me Down. The crowd sings along to every word of Cigarette Daydreams, the band’s biggest hit, before the set finally closes with Come a Little Closer from Melophobia.

Cage the Elephant is one of those acts that should be on everyone’s bucket list to see live: you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Hannah Broughton
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Cage the Elephant’s website here.

Watch the video for Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked here: