Niall Horan review, Brixton Academy, London: Former One Direction star is carving out a credible solo career

Fleetwood Mac influences are clear on his debut solo album as he sticks resolutely to his folk-rock influences for most of the night

Niall Horan performing at Brixton Academy (Rex)

Performing a show at London’s Brixton Academy, Niall Horan makes it clear he’s intent on staying true to his folk-rock influences, and his devoted legion of fans – who have followed him since the pop group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2015 – don’t seem to mind in the slightest.

At the beginning of the show, Horan’s audience interaction consists almost entirely of the word “Brixton” – which still elicits screams of an astonishingly high decibel. He warms up eventually, cracking a self-deprecating joke at the reaction when he takes off his jacket, and messing around with his band and photographer onstage.

Like his former bandmate Harry Styles, Horan has a habit of wearing his influences on his sleeve; these mostly being drawn from classic Seventies and Eighties rock: he’s cited Stevie Nicks as a musical heroine on more than one occasion.

The steady beat of single “On The Loose” – one of the standouts from Horan’s debut solo album Flicker – is a wonderful tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”, with its matching bass line and yearning guitar, although it verges on overkill when that same bass line crops up in “Since We’re Alone”.

He’s more convincing as a credible folk artist then when he tries to put a sultry spin on the night, “Slow Hands” still works thanks to that catchy hook but the lyric “like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry” never fails to get those cringe muscles twitching. Outside of that first solo, though, he’s an adept – and clearly improving – songwriter who seemed to require fewer co-writes than most major pop artists: his album’s title track is sensitive and endearingly romantic.

Niall Horan performing at O2 Academy Brixton (Rex)

An impressive cover of Camila Cabello’s hit “Crying In The Club” and a slightly drab but nonetheless sincere rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Dancing In The Dark”. He delves into One Direction’s back catalogue too, performing a stripped-down version of their hit “Drag Me Down”.

Horan could easily take more risks with his voice – perhaps it’s because he’s used to singing alongside four other bandmates – but he clearly has the capacity to be more daring, reaching the bigger notes without much effort.

While his One Direction cover still elicits one of the bigger reactions of the night, the show is a promising sign of Horan’s potential to carve out a lasting solo career of his own.