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Razorlight Play Intimate Barfly Show In Camden To Celebrate 20 Years Of Self-Titled Album

Razorlight played a rare stripped-back show at Camden’s Barfly on Wednesday 21 October 2026, celebrating 20 years of their five-times platinum self-titled album. Frontman Johnny Borrell and drummer and co-songwriter Andy Burrows played seven songs, including “America”, “In The Morning” and “Before I Fall To Pieces”, as part of Radio X’s X-Posure Live series. It came 20 years to the month since the band last played the venue, in October 2006, and warmed fans up for the band’s 20th anniversary UK tour, which starts in Glasgow on 26 November.

  • Gig: Razorlight (Johnny Borrell and Andy Burrows), stripped-back set
  • Venue: The Barfly, Camden, London
  • Date: Wednesday 21 October 2026, for Radio X’s X-Posure Live
  • Celebrating: 20 years of the album Razorlight (2006)
  • UK tour: 26 November to 14 December 2026, playing the album in full
  • Biggest show: OVO Arena Wembley, London, Friday 4 December 2026
  • Tickets: razorlightofficial.com
Razorlight self-titled album cover

GET RAZORLIGHT – RAZORLIGHT (2006)

The UK number one album featuring “America”, “In The Morning”, “Before I Fall To Pieces” and “I Can’t Stop This Feeling I’ve Got”.

Buy Razorlight on Amazon

Razorlight – America (official video)

What did Razorlight play at the Barfly?

With just Borrell on acoustic guitar and vocals and Burrows alongside him, Razorlight ran through seven songs from the early years:

  1. In The Morning
  2. Before I Fall To Pieces
  3. Stumble And Fall
  4. Golden Touch
  5. Somewhere Else
  6. Don’t Go Back To Dalston
  7. America

It was a set split between the 2006 album and the debut era, with “Golden Touch”, “Stumble And Fall” and fan favourite “Don’t Go Back To Dalston” sitting next to the big hits. Even with the drums stripped away, there were mass singalongs all night, and the small room was full of shouts of “We love you” and a few less printable chants of Borrell’s name.

Johnny Borrell of Razorlight playing acoustic guitar at the Barfly in Camden
Johnny Borrell on stage at the Barfly, Camden. Photo: Jessica-Rose Lane

Why were Johnny Borrell’s white jeans in the spotlight?

A bare-chested Borrell revealed that he had dug out his famous white trousers for the occasion. Talking to Radio X’s John Kennedy on stage after the set, he said: “I found them in the attic just before. I was thinking ‘am I going to wear white jeans for this tour? I don’t know’ and then I was looking for something else, as you do, and I found a box with the white jeans.”

He admitted they had needed a bit of repair work first: “They’ve just been resewn because we had a little wardrobe malfunction two days ago.” Asked why the trousers matter, he joked: “Well, they keep me honest, I can tell you that. Wearing the same trousers you wore twenty years ago keeps you honest. How many people can do that?”

How does Razorlight approach small shows compared to arenas?

With a Wembley arena show coming up, Kennedy asked Borrell how a tiny room like the Barfly compares. “Well, usually there are drums,” he deadpanned. Then he got more serious: “I approach every show exactly the same, whether I’m in a small room like this, or a big place, and I never know what’s going to happen. Honestly, thank you guys; that was an incredibly beautiful reception. That was my favourite show of the year so far.”

How was “America” written?

“America” gave Razorlight their only UK number one single, but Burrows revealed it nearly never became a Razorlight song at all. “I thought we were never going to record it,” he said. “Johnny was more into the idea that we’d written a great pop song and that we should see who else might be able to do a good job of it. And I thought that was quite a bold viewpoint.”

Borrell explained what changed: “But then we got into the studio and made it a Razorlight song, and as soon as we did that, I became the first big fan of that song. I just remember driving around London on my scooter, singing it in my helmet. I was the cabby, whistling the song.”

Fans got a glimpse of that early version earlier this year, when the band shared “Lost In America”, the original demo of the song, as a taster for a 20th anniversary deluxe edition of the album.

Andy Burrows and Johnny Borrell of Razorlight backstage at the Barfly
Andy Burrows and Johnny Borrell backstage at the Barfly. Photo: Jessica-Rose Lane

When is the Razorlight 20th anniversary UK tour?

The tour reunites Razorlight’s four classic members, Johnny Borrell, Andy Burrows, guitarist Bjorn Agren and bassist Carl Dalemo, to play the album in full. That means “In The Morning”, “Before I Fall To Pieces” and “I Can’t Stop This Feeling I’ve Got”, plus deep cuts like “Hold On”, “Who Needs Love” and “Kirby’s House”. A European run starts in Stockholm on 23 October before the band head home.

  • Thu 26 Nov 2026 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
  • Fri 27 Nov 2026 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
  • Sat 28 Nov 2026 – The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
  • Mon 30 Nov 2026 – O2 Academy, Leeds
  • Tue 1 Dec 2026 – Rock City, Nottingham
  • Thu 3 Dec 2026 – O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
  • Fri 4 Dec 2026 – OVO Arena Wembley, London
  • Sat 5 Dec 2026 – The Prospect Building, Bristol
  • Tue 8 Dec 2026 – Hedon, Zwolle, Netherlands
  • Wed 9 Dec 2026 – Nieuwe Nor, Heerlen, Netherlands
  • Sun 13 Dec 2026 – Telegraph, Belfast
  • Mon 14 Dec 2026 – 3Olympia, Dublin

Tickets and info are available at razorlightofficial.com.

Why does the Razorlight album still matter 20 years on?

Released in July 2006, Razorlight went straight to number one in the UK and has since gone five-times platinum. Looking back, Borrell said: “The album itself started to sound like a greatest hits. That’s when you know you’re alright.” He added: “Me and Andy fell into this groove of writing, just this amazing musical connection. When you do that, it’s like falling in love; it’s just this sort of mutual intoxication and we just couldn’t stop writing.”

The band kept the momentum going with the platinum-selling Slipway Fires, whose single “Wire To Wire” reached number three in Germany and Austria. Across their career they have racked up a UK number one album, a number one single, three UK top five albums, two multi-platinum albums and eight UK top 20 singles, and they still average more than 1.6 million monthly Spotify listeners.

Their last run on the road, in support of the best-of Razorwhat? The Best Of Razorlight, saw the classic line-up reunite and Borrell and Burrows rebuild a songwriting partnership that had been both brilliant and, at times, stormy. On the evidence of the Barfly, that bond is in very good shape.

Razorlight on stage at the Barfly with a packed crowd under a glitter ball
The packed Barfly crowd for Razorlight’s X-Posure Live set. Photo: Jessica-Rose Lane

Looking for more live news? Sweet have announced their 2026 UK tour, Remedy have confirmed their December dates, and Billy Morrison has been celebrating the success of Gods Of Rock N Roll.

Razorlight Barfly and tour FAQ

When did Razorlight play the Barfly in Camden?

Razorlight played a stripped-back show at the Barfly on Wednesday 21 October 2026, as part of Radio X’s X-Posure Live series.

What songs did Razorlight play at the Barfly?

In The Morning, Before I Fall To Pieces, Stumble And Fall, Golden Touch, Somewhere Else, Don’t Go Back To Dalston and America.

When does the Razorlight UK tour start?

The 20th anniversary UK tour starts at the O2 Academy Glasgow on Thursday 26 November 2026 and ends at 3Olympia, Dublin on Monday 14 December.

Is Razorlight playing Wembley?

Yes. Razorlight play OVO Arena Wembley in London on Friday 4 December 2026.

Will Razorlight play the whole album on tour?

Yes. The four classic members will perform the 2006 album Razorlight in full.

Where can I buy Razorlight tickets?

Tickets and info are available at razorlightofficial.com.

Rock News final word

Twenty years on, in the same Camden room, with the same white jeans, Razorlight proved these songs still hit hard even without the drums. If the Barfly was a warm-up, the anniversary tour, and that night at Wembley in particular, should be something special. Grab your tickets while you can.

Andy, Editor, Rock News UK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andy

Editor, Rock News UK

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Andrew Ellis

Andrew Ellis is co-editor of Rock News UK, covering rock news, new releases, gig news and reviews.