A Perfect Circle Kick Off Worldwide Tour at Brixton Academy
A Perfect Circle opened their latest world tour at London’s Brixton Academy with a set that balanced precision, atmosphere, and some long-awaited new material.
Being an A Perfect Circle fan has always required patience. With just four studio albums across 27 years, long waits have always been part of the deal. Still, there was a palpable sense of relief among the crowd packed onto Brixton’s sloped floor; with a Tube strike looming the following day, many knew they had lucked out by landing tickets for the opening night.
Support came from Reclus.É and Jehnny Beth, the latter bringing a raw vocal delivery reminiscent of early PJ Harvey and an industrial-tinged take on Björk’s Army of Me thatlanded particularly well, though a planned final song was cut short by time.
Half an hour later, the headliners took the stage. Starless – their first new material since 2024’s Kindred – had arrived the week before, but the band chose to ease in rather than lean on it immediately. Opening in near darkness, they let the slow-burn intro of The Package unfold before slipping into Disillusioned.
The Contrarian and The Doomed followed in quick succession, with Billy Howerdel’s dense, grinding guitar work offsetting Maynard James Keenan’s eerie delivery. True to form, Keenan remained largely stationary on a raised platform at the back of the stage.
“We haven’t played this in a while, so if it goes wrong, it’s Josh’s fault,” Keenan joked just ahead of Rose. Kindred proved the newer material can hold its own, driven by Josh Freese’s heavy, metronomic drumming. Their stark cover of John Lennon’s Imagine shifted the mood again before the band launched into TalkTalk. The Outsider drew one of the biggest reactions of the night, with the chorus showcasing just how stellar Keenan’s voice remains.
After a ten-minute intermission, soundtracked by a playful version of The Girl From Ipanema, the band returned with renewed force. Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drum hit with full weight, while The Noose brought things back into darker territory. The live debut of Starless slotted seamlessly into the set, appearing as a song the band has played well beyond its two-year life.
Just before the finale Judith, Keenan announced the end of the night-long phone ban. A sea of screens appeared as the drums and opening bars of the song broke from the stage. Some no doubt lamented the absence of Orestes – reserved for fans on the following evening – but the first-night energy of the crowd made Keenan’s appreciation all the more genuine.
Check out our exclusive live photo gallery from the pit, captured by Matt Golowczynski, below.
