THOMAS BEVAN attends Geordie Greep’s first gig of 2026, an intimate and stripped-back set during Independent Venue Week.
As a late addition to the Independent Venue Week lineup, Geordie Greep put pedal to the metal at the Windmill Brixton on the 26th of January. The ex-Black Midi frontman was joined for a stripped back set by Stan Woodward on bass, King David-Ike Elechi on drums, and special guest Tom Challenger on saxophone. As the band settled on stage and chatter died down, there was an air of solemnity in the room—this was Greep’s first gig since the death of his longtime friend and former Black Midi bandmate, Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin. “Obviously, there’s some context to the time we’re in right now,” Greep remarked, “but all we can do is think of what’s happened. There will be more on this as we go through the gig, but we’re also gonna rock the fucking house.”
Elechi’s rolling drums soon led the quartet into an erratic jam that was quintessentially Greep: tension building and releasing through the unfettered transitions between intricate jazz melodies and heavy rock riffs. In moments of climax, Challenger’s saxophone would shriek, unrelenting yet restrained, adorning Greep’s aggressive guitar work. As the music slowed, Woodward—with his bass hitched up to his chest—engaged in a call and response with Greep and his synth guitar, easing the group into their next torrent. The band moved as one, locked into each other’s frequencies; their playing akin to symbiosis.
After 40 minutes of ebb and flow, Greep shot into “953,” the blistering opener on Black Midi’s 2019 debut, Schlagenheim. This was a significant moment—the track hadn’t been played since their final gig in 2023 and it was undoubtedly a tribute to Matt. Immediately the crowd recognized the importance of this performance—some fumbled for their cameras, while others erupted into a frenzied mosh in total submission. Greep’s guitar riffs coalesced with Elechi’s drums. Despite never being a member of Black Midi, his drumming was no less frenetic than the downbeat mania brought by Morgan Simpson. The group didn’t play the verse, improvising instead, before closing with a cyclical waning of the opening riff. As the energy of the crowd subsided, Greep gave a eulogy to Matt. He reflected on early gigs played together at the Windmill, and Matt’s tremendous influence on him. There was a stillness that settled in the room. “It’s one of these things…we’re gonna feel it forever,” Greep lamented. “There’s no use trying to wrap it all up in a bow now, ’cause it’s gonna be around forever, this feeling.” Greep went on to say he intends to make music for the rest of his life, thanks to Matt. (The full tribute has been uploaded to YouTube, here, and it is well worth watching.)
The crowd was given a moment to wipe away their tears before the band went full throttle into their next jam—this time more thrashing than before. After a skittery Knats number, and some angular improvisation, they ended their set with two songs from Greep’s 2024 album, The New Sound: the title track and “Walk Up.” To finally hear this theatrical crooning left one wishing that the gig saw more of his New Sound tracks and dramatic vocals. But that wishing misses the beauty of this performance—of watching Greep’s talent abound in such intimate quarters and seeing him, not long after Matt’s death, on the tiny stage where they first shook the South London music scene together. Greep is a brilliant musician and a virtuoso on the guitar, and to witness his experimentation live was magical—especially at the Windmill.
Featured image courtesy of Naomi Niemeijer.