
On a Monday night, there’s nothing quite like catching a train to London for one of the most anticipated gigs of the first half of 2023. It had only been just over a year since I covered my first London gig, featuring Electric Callboy and Blind Channel. Seeing those names on the poster at the Eventim Apollo filled me with nostalgia and excitement. The queue was packed with hundreds of metalheads in Hawaiian shirts, promising an unforgettable night.
First up was the German post-hardcore band Future Palace, whose explosive energy and cathartic riffs had the crowd moving to belters like “Dead Inside”, “Defeating Gravity”, “Paradise”, and their latest single, “Malphas”. They are definitely a band to watch out for.
Next up were the Finnish modern nu-metal legends Blind Channel, who supported Electric Callboy a year ago. They were amazing then, and somehow even better this time around. They opened with “Alive or Only Burning” and brought so much energy that photographers were running around the pit. They played their latest single “FLATLINE”, followed by a wicked cover of Anastacia’s “Left Outside Alone”, which surprisingly got the crowd going. Their set ended with “Dark Side,” the catalyst for both their fame and rise to the Eurovision finals in 2021.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!

After an intermission, the lights dimmed, and the crowd erupted in cheers as Electric Callboy took the stage. They opened with a video from the conductor of the Tekkno Train welcoming everyone to the train/venue. The band charged out, and the confetti cannons went off as they opened with “Tekkno Train” from their newest album, instantly sending the crowd into a frenzy. “MC Thunder II (Dancing Like a Ninja)” brought that same Electric Callboy energy, complete with pyro and ninja poses.
As the night progressed, they played bangers like “The Scene” and “Supernova”, and “Arrow of Love” brought love from both the fans and the band, with vocalist Kevin Ratajczak expressing his appreciation for the fans and their right to love. After a few more songs, the band went through an obligatory costume change for “Hypa Hypa”, one of their most popular tracks, sending the crowd wild.
Then came two of my favourite songs: “Fuck Boi”, which blends pop punk and metalcore, and “Hurrikan”, which flows smoothly from Euro pop into deathcore. The set concluded with an encore everyone was hoping for, with “We Got the Moves” and “Pump It” ending the set with a bang.
But it wasn’t just the music that made the night so memorable. It was the crowd, who brought so much energy and excitement to the show. Everywhere you looked, people were jumping, moshing, and screaming their hearts out. And of course, the bands themselves were amazing, bringing a level of passion and intensity that’s hard to find elsewhere.
As the night came to a close and the crowd slowly filtered out of the venue, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the experience. It was a reminder of just how powerful live music can be, and how it can bring people together in ways that nothing else can. If you have the chance to see any of these bands live, I highly recommend it.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Photos by Kraken Media