Live Review: The Warning - O2 Brixton Academy, London 17/04/2025

La Academia de Brixton fue incendiada! Mexican hard rock trio The Warning pulled together an incredible live performance that singed the eyebrows off their fans.

Supporting the band was Sophie Lloyd and her group, accompanied by Marisa Rodriguez on vocals. Lloyd used her guitar powerhousery to good use, as her wiry 80s metal style echoed across the hot venue. Her soloing and riff-heavy tracks were more than welcomed by the rock-hungry crowd. She treated them to an epic cover of Metallica’s rock classic Enter Sandman, where she made her guitar sing like a bird.

When the main act was due to take the stage, a burst of red strutted out while three screens presented a foggy image with a melting, obsidian-like element shifting across them. Three sisters—Daniella (guitar, vocals), Paulina (drums, vocals), and Alejandra (bass, backing vocals) Villarreal Vélez—sauntered into the dark like a devilish Boygenius, dressed in coordinated red outfits, ready to play their biggest headline show outside of Mexico, at the 2000+ capacity venue. The screen shifted to reveal a shadowy woman reaching out through the fog, evoking Hitchcock’s Psycho.

They kicked off the night with one of their most popular tracks from their latest album Keep Me Fed. Six Feet Deep is a dirty rock track with distortion to boot. The crashing, anthemic blast of a chorus lays waste to the cool, tightened verses it weaves between. Daniella’s vocals rang through the venue, hailing the crowd to sing along with her from the very start.

Having introduced their music, they opened their dialogue with the crowd:

“London! We are back! You guys ready for some rock’n’roll?!”

The roar of the mascara-wearing crowd confirmed the answer. The sisters treated us to more new tracks, including the crisp, riff-driven single SICK!, which evokes a strong nostalgia for 2000s emo rock—and a welcome feeling it was. And if that wasn’t emo enough, the next new track Escapism might just be what you’re looking for, as the lyrics ring:

“It’s the hope that kills you!”

So emo. Daniella then claimed the spotlight (literally), serenading the audience with a slow-building guitar solo that would make Tony Iommi proud. The crowd clapped and cheered as the solo came to a halt, and Paulina and Alejandra joined their sister, a pulsing red light backlighting their gloomy presence.

The electronically layered MORE followed—perhaps one of the strongest and most unique tracks on the setlist. Their signature dark, buzzing riff sets the tone, while bass-heavy drums and a bouncing cowbell beat ricochet off the guitar’s backdrop. The vocals are some of the most emotive of the night, perfectly in rhythm with the track, and with the backing vocals ringing behind it, the result feels almost like a holy chant.

A clear crowd favourite was MONEY, off their third studio album ERROR, where the call and response of “cash” and “money” put a revolutionary fire in the hearts of every fan. Paulina—drummer, middle child, and the band’s main songwriter—took centre stage for the track Survive, flexing her multifaceted skill set while the screens moved her through a psychedelic tunnel of dancing women, evoking memories of Rock Band, a key influence in the band’s history.

As a Mexican band, it wouldn’t have been right to leave without hearing a little Spanish. They geared up to play their latest Spanish-language track Qué Máe Quieres, which showcased one of the strongest vocal performances of the night and proved just how powerfully their hard rock transcends language and cultural barriers.

The track EVOLVE made a welcome appearance, crescendoing the band into an “exit.” They left us with a guttural scream and one question: where was Narcisista?

And then—no time wasted—the band returned for an encore the crowd had pleaded for, playing just that very track. The bold, enchanting Narcisista, which sounds like the grand opening theme of the coolest anime show ever, displayed all of their talents to the fullest: headbanging drums, weaponised guitar, and a grounded, heavy bassline. Rock’n’roll to the letter. It also features a wonderfully addictive “na na na” chorus that practically demands a singalong.

The Warning finally closed the show with their new track Automatic Sun—a beautifully head-spinning rocker, played to the backdrop of a massive, bright sun being eclipsed, leaving the crowd in rocking awe.

It’s rare these days to find students of classic rock’n’roll, and this show was powerful. The Warning will give you a great show with high energy and leave you satisfied enough in your hunger for rock’n’roll.

Photo Credit: Sam Strutt

Published by When The Horn Blows and The Renaissance