The fate of live music in Britain rests with the Brixton Academy

The legendary south London music venue remains shuttered a year after a crowd crush that killed two people. Time to reopen it, says James Moore

Police officers outside Brixton O2 Academy, where two people died 12 months ago (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Wire)

It’s been a year since the Brixton Academy – the south London music venue to which the word “legendary” is often attached, with good reason – was closed after an appalling tragedy.

Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died after a crowd crush at the doors during a gig by the Nigerian artist, Asake. Twelve months on, a 22-year-old woman remains in hospital in a serious condition.

I used to be a regular at the venue. As a disabled gig-goer, there’s a certain level of anxiety associated with going to a concert; I’ve also suffered a high degree of claustrophobia since being crushed by a lorry. There are certain venues I automatically think twice about when I see shows advertised. But the Academy was neverone of them.