Mia Thunderska
Coming onto stage with a noise table that looked fresh out of a barn and dressed like the farmyard scarecrow friend of HorsegiirL, Mun Sing wordlessly (by not motionlessly) put the subwoofers of heaven into overdrive. Coming off of their 2025 EP I, there was more trancey proto-hyperpop than Machine Girl’s digital hardcore, recalling Spinee and Himera more than Atari Teenage Riot. This wasn’t completely saccharine – the only acoustic noise came from a balloon being slowly let out into a microphone, and the blue clown paint made this barn feel like it was ripped from a nightmare rather than a nursery rhyme.
From the first note of “…because I’m young and arrogant and hate everything you stand for” Machine Girl starts their near unrelenting wall of sound. Despite the rave lighting & visuals, it sounded closer to a harsh noise concert, with the only breaths being for guitar swap and tuning breaks (this is the first time Machine Girl have toured the UK as a three-piece).
The kids in the mosh pit at the front were like liquid, and the response was just as rapturous to songs from latest album MG Ultra as well as older cuts like ‘On Coming’ and ‘The Fortress (The Blood Inside…).’ This version of the trio seemed to eschew the earlier instrumental tracks to become even more of a band, with lead singer Matt Stephenson only controlling vocal effects and bass guitar compared to the previous table of synths.
This iteration of Machine Girl had more of a pop edge than previous live sets, likely from the more melodic and less harsh sound of ‘MG Ultra’ and having played outbreak and supported Code Orange in the years previously, this is a change of pace. Despite the Black Flag samples, there was no hardcore dancing in this pit. This could be a band losing its hardcore/DIY audience, or progressing into something new, but introducing kids to blast beats & beat downs via an onslaught of live breakcore drums from Sean Kelly is never a bad thing.
Stepping away from their own material they also chose to cover ‘Work for Love’ by Ministry. While the fashion sense on stage was closer to Nine Inch Nails than pre-industrial Ministry, and having an electronic & sample focused act become a riotous rock band when it comes to touring, the influence is palpable.
The main set ended with a balcony dive to MG Ultra standout ‘Psychic Attack’, which just committed itself to being an absolute riot. Six albums deep and becoming increasingly renowned for their live show as well as their albums, the young fan base are surely going to keep following them and make the riots continue.