Suede have cancelled their scheduled shows at the O2 Academy Brixton and announced a run of intimate replacement gigs.
The band, who released their ninth album ‘Autofiction’ last year, had been scheduled to perform two consecutive concerts at the south London venue this December as part of a wider UK headline tour.
However, Suede have made the decision to scrap their planned appearances due to continuing uncertainty surrounding the O2 Academy Brixton’s future.
The historic events space remains closed following a fatal crowd crush that occurred at an Asake show last December. Two people died as a result of the incident, with a third being left in a critical condition in hospital.
Expressing their “regret” and “sincere apologies”, Suede confirmed in a Twitter thread today (July 4) that they will instead play three consecutive gigs at the nearby Electric Brixton venue.
It is with regret that we have to inform you that the Suede shows at O2 Academy Brixton on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th December are cancelled.
Sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. 1/5. pic.twitter.com/R1Ci8Zbf7u
— Suede HQ (@suedeHQ) July 4, 2023
Fans who bought tickets to the cancelled dates will be refunded automatically within five days but they’ll be “given first dibs on tickets for the new shows” – details of which will be sent out via email.
A pre-sale is set to go live at 9am BST next Thursday (July 13). The general sale will begin at the same time on Friday, July 14. You can see the revised list of dates below and buy tickets here.
DECEMBER
09 – Winter Gardens, Eastbourne
10 – Engine Shed, Lincoln
11 – Guildhall, Portsmouth
13 – The Halls, Wolverhampton
15 – Electric Brixton, London
16 – Electric Brixton, London
17 – Electric Brixton, London
Earlier this year numerous artists and industry professionals spoke out against the potential permanent closure of the O2 Academy Brixton. It came after the Metropolitan Police claimed to have “lost confidence” in the safety of the venue and pushed for the location to shut its doors for good.
A fresh campaign to save the academy was then launched in May by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).
Michael Kill, NTIA CEO, argued that the venue “is a huge part of the cultural economy within London and the UK, and is without doubt one of the landmark performance spaces in the world”.
He added: “It is responsible for shaping and nurturing artists’ careers past and present.”
Meanwhile, Suede’s Brett Anderson and Mat Osman have recalled a host of their earliest musical memories in the latest edition of NME‘s ‘Firsts’ series.
The post Suede cancel Brixton Academy shows and announce intimate Electric gigs as replacements appeared first on NME.
