The Beaches threw an unforgettable party at O2 Academy Brixton after the release of 3rd album ‘No Hard Feelings’
The Canadian band brought their UK tour to London.
Photo: Billie Wheeler
The Beaches are a Canadian queer pop-rock band who skyrocketed into the spotlight following their 2023 album Blame My Ex, featuring hits like Blame Brett and What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid. Packed with brutally honest tracks that are queer as hell, the album has become a breakup survival guide for LGBTQ+ listeners everywhere.
Supported by rising indie rock duo Dea Matrona, The Beaches blew the roof off O2 Academy Brixton, delivering a performance that will live rent-free in the minds of their clearly feral fans for a long time to come.
Dea Matrona opened the night with a sound bold enough to make Fleetwood Mac quiver. With their sultry vocals and undeniable on-stage chemistry, they delivered a confident and magnetic set that definitely created an entire room of new fans that night.
The long-awaited moment arrived as The Beaches stormed the stage, opening very on brand with Last Girls At The Party from their latest album, No Hard Feelings. The band burst into action with feral energy and charisma, immediately sending the crowd into a frenzy. Frontwoman Jordan Miller embodied peak Beaches energy, stepping out in a bikini and leather jacket; a pretty bold fashion choice for this chilly February, but hey, they’re Canadian. They’re built differently.
Jordan was joined by guitarists Kylie Miller (yes, they’re sisters), Leandra Earl (everyone’s favourite soft masc) and crazy talented drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel. The band wasted no time before launching headfirst into the chaos, causing the room to erupt into a crazed energy.
After the opener, the band stayed with the new era, rolling straight into Touch Myself before diving back into Blame My Ex favourites like Me & Me, Cigarette, and Shower Beer. There’s a clear theme here and it’s one the band fully embraces; the raw, messy, occasionally ridiculous reality of breakups, especially queer ones. The song titles alone tell you everything you need to know.
The new album run continued with Did I Say Too Much, Fine, Let’s Get Married, and Can I Call You in the Morning?, a trio of painfully relatable tracks that tap into queer relationship stereotypes and insecurities with humour, honesty and a lot of heart.
One of the night’s standout moments came with a stunning cover of Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac. Rarely does a cover feel both respectful and fresh, but The Beaches managed exactly that, staying true to the original track while adding their own personal edge. It echoed the same vibes as their recent cover of I Ran (So Far Away), showcasing their talent for reviving the classics while honouring the artists who paved the way for artists like them.
Then came the emotional core of the show. Leandra delivered a heartfelt speech about having their queerness accepted by loved ones, which seamlessly led into Lesbian Of The Year. Phone torches lit the room as the entire crowd swayed together, creating a moment of collective vulnerability within the crowd.
The mood quickly shifted back into full celebration mode as the band launched into Jocelyn, Edge of the Earth and the infamous Blame Brett. Phones were dropped, voices screamed hoarse, and the energy reached its peak as the show bounded towards its finale with a cheeky reprise of Last Girls At The Party to send everyone home buzzing.
The Beaches have become a lifeline for young queer listeners navigating love, loss and everything in between. Quite simply, few artists are doing it better, and they’re touching on these topics by combining an acknowledgement of these situations with a fun-loving twist.
All photos by Billie Wheeler.
