More about: Biig Piig

Biig Piig brought the rave to Brixton as part of her Bubblegum Tour, with support from yunè pinku.

Fostering a much clubbier vibe than its neighbour, O2 Academy Brixton, Electric served as the perfect host for Biig Piig’s sold-out, high-energy London gig. 

Electronic producer/singer, yunè pinku, warmed up the crowd with a short but sweet set of five songs. Drawing an impressive sea of bobbing heads for an opening act, the Malaysian-Irish artist stood alone on stage, moving back and forth between the mic and mixing her bass-heavy, restless, pop-house beats. ‘Night Light’, ‘Fai Fighter’ and ‘Bluff’ all appeared in the set; songs that teeter between self-control and melodramatic, pushing and pulling.

“I’ve been a fan of Biig Piig for as long as I can remember,” yunè tells the audience. This enduring stanning has perhaps informed yunè’s own work, and the result is an evident sonic match between the pair. 

Electric Brixton isn’t the first time the pair have teamed up. Last year, yunè remixed Biig Piig’s single ‘Fun’, transforming it from a frenetic drum ‘n’ bass bop to a Balearic poolside house number. 

Half an hour later (just enough time to queue for the loo and order another pint), Biig Piig and her three-piece band enter stage left. Donning a sparkly triangle bikini top and parachute pants, she’s a picture of the Y2K fashion revival. 

Biig Piig opens with the catchy dance-pop number, ‘This Is What They Meant’, from her recently released ‘Bubblegum’ mixtape. Kicking off with a recognisable tune is arguably the best way to begin a performance, but when you’re told “I’m gonna play some old and new tracks,” that really seals the deal.

Staying true to her word, lo-fi soul-pop gem ‘Sunny’ is up next, one of Biig Piig’s best known tracks. The bassist and guitarist join her at the front of the stage for a jam, a recurring move that draws whoops and cheers from the 1,500-strong crowd each time it happens throughout the gig. At one point, the bassist swaps his strings for a saxophone and absolutely knocks a solo out of the park. 

Biig Piig seamlessly transitions between songs, the set tight and effortless after already cracking out the majority of her twelve date UK and Europe tour, which took the band to the likes of Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Glasgow, and Manchester.

Her velvety vocals sound like muffled conversations through paper thin walls; overheard murmurs in other rooms of a party. Many songs in the set are bilingual, traces of a life lived across Ireland and Spain. 

On ‘Cuenta Lo’, Biig Piig offers the mic up to the crowd for them to sing the chorus back to her. A risky move perhaps, but one that paid off as they recited every word. After a six year-long career, the NiNE8 collective co-founder and BBC Sound of 2023 longlister has built up an undoubtedly loyal fanbase. I even spotted ‘Hello’ rapper Jelani Blackman amongst the revellers.

Biig Piig cycles through a wide range of her works, such as 2020’s ‘Oh No’, Bubblegum banger ‘In the Dark’, and ‘Roses and Gold’ from her 2019 EP, No Place for Patience, Vol. 3. 

Towards the end of the night, the pace kicks up a gear for ‘Picking Up’, Biig Piig’s popular collab with Deb Never, and ‘405’, a big collab with Metronomy (the opening bars alone elicited screams).

“Are you up for it?” Biig Piig calls out, diving into the genre-less ‘Switch’, which melds everything from alt-pop to punk and drum ‘n’ bass. Impressively, Biig Piig manages to keep her vocals smooth and hushed despite all the jumping around on stage.

Her biggest and best song - ‘Feels Right’ - is predictably saved for last. Biig Piig steps off the stage and gets amongst the front row. Feverish hands reach out to grab her; standing at the barrier all night was worth it.

And then, it’s over. The stage goes dark and the band exits. The crowd chants for one more song, stamping their feet on the floor. It’s not long before Biig Piig returns for encore song ‘Kerosene’, a song she’s previously described as a “hot girl anthem.”

A wholly comprehensive show, Biig Piig gave us a taste of everything from her gloomier The Sky Is Bleeding-era jazz numbers to the more dance-pop, club-ready tracks from Bubblegum. It’s a Greatest Hits gig, if you will. Which, if we’re being honest with ourselves, is exactly what you want from a show.

See the view from the pit, captured by Yas Cowan:

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More about: Biig Piig