Live at O2 Academy Bristol: Sammy Rae & The Friends (18th February 2025)

Peak Sammy Rae & The Friends chaos and joy.

There are gigs are feel fun, gigs that feel emotional, and then there are gigs that feel like someone has taken the entire rainbow, shaken it up in a glitter cannon, and detonated it over a room full of people. Sammy Rae & The Friends fall firmly into category three.

I've seen them twice before as a fan (screaming lyrics from the crowd, dancing like an idiot, living my best life... duh), but this was my first time photographing them. And not just that: my first time shooting from the pit at the O2 Academy, squeezed in shoulder-to-shoulder with other photographers, heart pounding like one of Will's guitar stabs. It was everything I hoped it would be.

Let's get into it.

🎤 The Setup

Shooting from the pit for the first time was... honestly? Terrifying for about five seconds and then instantly addictive. The pit at the O2 Academy Bristol is tight. Barely any room to shift your weight, let alone move freely. But once those first notes hit, it didn't matter. The energy from the stage just swallowed the whole space.

The lighting was unreal: bright beams, neon washes, huge colours blasting across the stage. Exactly the kind of palette Sammy Rae's music deserves. I shot the night on my Canon R5 with the 50mm f/1.8 - close, fast, and perfect for a show this explosive. Being right up front meant every expression, every movement, every burst of emotion was inches away from my lens.

Sammy Rae pouring every ounce of energy into the moment at the O2 Academy Bristol.

🎸 Last Dinosaurs

Last Dinosaurs opened the night with a hazy, shoegaze-y indie-rock set. It was energetic, tight, and way more fun than I expected from a band I wasn't familiar with. Their sound filled the room beautifully, and they did a great job warming up a crowd who were clearly there for one thing: joy.

I didn't shoot their set this time, but they definitely set the tone for the chaos that was about to unfold.

🌈 Sammy Rae & The Friends

And then... The lights shifted, the room buzzed, and Sammy Rae & The Friends walked out to a roar that hit like a wave.

This band's version of a performance is more of an explosion. Seven musicians moving like a single organism, swapping instruments, dancing, laughing, shouting, pulling the crowd in like an expanding sun. From the opening track "Thieves" to the last chorus of "Coming Home Song" (two of my favourites from the new album), it felt like the entire room was being carried somewhere bright and colourful.

Sammy herself is a force. The kind of frontwoman who can command 1,600 people with a hand gesture or a single note. She makes eye contact like she's checking in with each person individually. And from the pit, that energy is overwhelming in the best possible way. You can feel her charisma.

The band didn't stop for a second. Horns dipping and swaying, guitars leaping between jazz and funk and disco, the rhythm section bouncing like they were on springs. The stage looked alive.

My favourite photos of the night are all from those moments. Sammy dropping to the floor mid-scream. William in his Elton John sunglasses singing his heart out. The whole band huddling around the mic in joyful chaos.

There were softer moments too: the Bob Dylan cover bathed in a single spotlight, the gentle hush of "Good Life," the crowd singing back every word of "Coming Home Song." Those felt huge even from the very front.

This was a band giving everything they had.

Sammy Rae and bassist James Quinlan drop to the stage for a playful, up-close moment with the crowd.

✨ Final Thoughts

This show felt like a celebration of friendship. Of creativity, of community, and of letting go in a room full of people who are all there to feel something good. Sammy Rae & The Friends filled the O2 Academy with colour, warmth, and a kind of joy that sticks to your skin long after you've walked out into the cold street.

Shooting them from the pit for the first time was one of the most exhilarating experiences I've had with a camera.

An unforgettable night, start to finish.