Everyone’s looking for the next big thing in rock… could it be the completely unknown rock singer Cruz Beckham?
The youngest son of David and Victoria and arguably the only one with a clear career plan (his brothers have dabbled in everything from football to fashion) is playing the first of three gigs at the Courtyard Theatre in London with his three-piece band, The Breakers. The grade II-listed former library in Hoxton is an intimate venue that once played host to future stars like Billie Eilish and FKA twigs; no doubt Cruz would like to reach those lofty heights.
The crowd tonight is a mix of photogenic Gen Z model types, some moody-looking rockers and a group of older women clustered right at the front of the stage, wielding large plastic glasses of white wine. David Beckham fans? Cruz’s aunties? I can’t be sure. They all watch as a man in a shirt bearing the words “Crews Beckham” fiddles around with the instruments set up onstage. There’s an artfully placed road case behind the bass, also stamped with the band name: “Cruz Beckham and the Breakers”. Over at a merch display near the exit, you can buy a T-shirt with the band’s faces on for £35, a long-sleeved top with the band’s faces on for £45, and a hoodie with the band’s faces on for £55. There are some fake gig tickets too – those are free. (At another recent gig, they stated the location as “Cardiff, England”, so I double-checked to see if these ones say “London, Wales”. Fortunately not.)
The pre-show music is the sort of thing you’d expect to find on the playlist of any self-respecting rock aficionado: The Cure, Talking Heads, Paul McCartney, The Smiths, Dire Straits… My friend and I squint at a grizzled man near the front, wondering if it’s David Beckham in disguise – until the real David Beckham shows up at the back with Victoria and their son Romeo in tow. Cruz and the band were due on at 9pm. The clock ticks. “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads blares from the speakers. Then, a cheer at 9.20pm (because rock and roll doesn’t care what time it is!) as the stage door opens and out comes the band, one by one, with Cruz arriving last to take his place at the front.
“It’s good to be back!” he tells the crowd.
He’s wearing the standard uniform for your average 21-year-old rock frontman – YSL’s 2026 spring/summer menswear collection – in a white shirt with billowy sleeves, tailored grey trousers and a striped silk tie that’s tucked in between the shirt buttons. Gold bracelets jangle cheerfully around his wrist.
The gig kicks off – Cruz looks confident and happy as he jams with the band. There’s a rollicking song called “Optics”, which sounds a bit like Pulp if you don’t pay too much attention to the lyrics or the music. Cruz sings the chorus: “Optics, optics (nah nah nah nah optics), optics, optics (nah nah nah nah optics), optics, optics (nah nah nah nah optics), optics, optics.”
“It’s good to be back!” Cruz says as the song ends. The crowd whoops dutifully.
He seems dead-set on a future as a serious musician. I first heard from reliable sources a few years back that he was in the studio working with some big-name producers. They turn out to be Justin Raisen and Lewis Pesacov, who between them have collaborated with the likes of Kim Gordon, Best Coast, Sky Ferreira and Yves Tumor. The duo have done well to create a throughline on Cruz’s smattering of releases to date, from the perky indie of “Lick the Toad” to the Beatles psychedelia of “For Your Love”. He writes his own songs. He also said in a recent Rolling Stone UK interview that he wants to earn his stripes, and he seems to mean it, having managed some degree of anonymity while opening for fellow indie act The Royston Club last year.
There’s an unreleased track called “John Lennon”, which is about Cruz feeling sad that he’ll never be like his idol, John Lennon – he drops on his knees for a guitar solo then gets back up after a few seconds, possibly worrying about his trousers. The band play the woozy single “For Your Love”, which features the lyrics: “I’ll slip you through the needle of my eye/ Love’s a word that money cannot buy.” Later he sings “Loneliest Boy”, which fans think is about his estranged older brother, the famous chef and photographer, Brooklyn Beckham.
Is he any good? Certainly, he’s an adept guitar player and clearly has a genuine enthusiasm for music. Having watched him grow up in public and hearing second-hand of his musical aspirations, I feel a bit like I’m watching my younger brother play his first ever gig after hearing him practise in his bedroom for days on end. He’s in a tricky predicament: cynics will argue the only reason he gets any press is because of his name, but then, wouldn’t any other band get the breathing space to hone their craft, with at least a couple of years playing live shows before being thrust into the spotlight? He can’t win.
As I’ve written previously, music is the one place where being a nepo baby doesn’t really help – you can’t hide behind good lighting, a great script or the talents of your co-stars when you’re playing live on stage. Case in point: Julian Lennon was flummoxed last year as to why late-night hosts weren’t jumping at the chance to interview him about his latest album. If Cruz gets anywhere, it’s going to have to be on merit. It’ll be interesting to see the response to his just-announced US tour.
As I leave, I pass two paps who are standing across the road in the pouring rain, waiting for the Beckhams to make their exit. Somewhere from inside, I think I hear Cruz shouting, “It’s good to be back!”
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