Don Broco sparked a giant underground moshpit during their sold-out London show at Outernet Live, part of their Nightmare Tripping tour. The Bedfordshire band delivered an electric set of high-energy hits beneath Tottenham Court Road, proving rock music is alive and well.
High-Energy Set at New Venue
Outernet Live, a new venue boasting a 2,000 capacity and top-drawer sound, sits four storeys beneath busy Tottenham Court Road. The foursome opened with a Basement Jaxx-style Rendez-Vu moment, with guitarist Simon Delaney emerging under a spotlight to strum an acoustic guitar. The Mexican-inspired intro brought the baying audience to the boil as the riff twisted into the opening notes of new tune 'True Believers', building from synth backing into a full-on riff-fest. Soon after, the entire venue seemed to be sucked into an entire mosh pit.
After teasing the intensity of their new sound at their last sold-out show at London's OVO Arena, last night proved the band are no longer holding back. They powered through a setlist packed with heavy hitters, with their heavier, more aggressive riffs converting into fan favourites.
New Tracks Debut Live
New tracks 'Somersaults' and 'Swimming Pools' made their live debut, slotting seamlessly into the set. While the absence of fan favourites 'Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan' and 'Pretty' may have raised a few eyebrows, the 18-song run kept the spotlight firmly on their bolder, heavier direction, with the crowd clearly on board.
There was restless jumping, even during what could now be classified as the 'slower' songs. Outernet Live is the kind of venue built for this shoulder-to-shoulder, sweat-soaked intensity. "We love playing venues like this," shouts frontman Rob.
Full-Throttle Performance
Despite sounding slightly croaky at points, Rob gave his all in typical full-throttle fashion, especially during surprise older cuts 'What You Do To Me' and 'Money Power Fame'. He tapped into that energy again later, ripping through anti-racist track 'Uber' and the 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' punch of 'Gumshield'.
Drummer Matt was put in the spotlight for 'One True Prince', sparking an anthemic singalong, before the band attempted to close the main set with 'The Corner' - only to be forced to cut it short after an incident in the crowd. "You guys just don't want us to finish 'The Corner' do you?" Rob shouted, referring to an incident the night before in Folkestone, where the band were also unable to finish their set.
Encore Brings Energy
Fans might have to wait until next time to hear 'The Corner' in full, but the Bedford boys returned for the predictable encore, with 'T-shirt Song' prompting a flurry of undressing. By 'Hype Man' there was little energy left, until Rob demanded more: "Woah, woah, start that s*** again. The song is called 'Hype Man'. I need you to give me all you've got." To which they did.
The setlist included True Believers (acoustic intro), Nightmare Tripping, Gumshield, Come out to LA, Somersaults, Money Power Fame, Everybody, Swimming Pools, Euphoria, What You Do to Me, Disappear, Bruce Willis, Uber, One True Prince, Cellophane, The Corner, T-shirt Song, and Hype Man.
