Declan McKenna delivered an exceptional performance at the iconic O2 Academy in Brixton celebrating his latest album, Zeros.

There are only two ways you can go when you’ve written a banger at 15 – become a one-hit wonder, or ride the waves of success until they make you seasick. Fortunately for Declan McKenna (and us) it’s the latter. Seven years and a pandemic later, the North Londoner brought his sophomore album Zeros, which peaked at number 2 in the UK and Scotland, to the stage.

The anticipation was undeniable, from the queues that wrapped around the building and around the block to the chants of “Oh, Declan McKenna” to the tune of Seven Nation Army’s famous intro. A snippet of The Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends signalled the start of the show as Declan and his band came into view. As the saying goes, “start as you mean to go on,” and start with a bang we did as confetti blasted over the crowd during Beautiful Faces. With a big voice and even bigger lyrics, tracks like Rapture, The Key To Life On Earth, and Humongous paved the way for Brazil before a second explosion of confetti showered the fans as British Bombs drew the night to a close.

Neither the glitter on his face nor the sequins on his suit could outshine Declan on his triumphant two nights in Brixton, that surely points to the scintillating future that lies ahead.

Photos: Abigail Shii