Cece Lawless
The early arrival of the crowd says much about the health of London’s hardcore scene and by the time Agency take the stage, the room is already full and ready to bring the heat. Although, being packed out can be hit and miss for the opening slot at a any show, the promoter knew what they were doing when they booked them. Agency are becoming local heroes very quickly, even with only a few live shows under their belts they are managing to play like a well oiled machine. From the outset, they treat the audience as collaborators rather than spectators, passing the microphone around and ensuring everyone felt part of the performance. Instructions to the pit are issued plainly and followed almost instantly with two steppers dancing perfectly in time with the snare. The moshpit the band creates was clearly too tempting as their vocalist leaps into the pit, pinballing around the audience. This band love their scene, and the scene loves them back.
Regress continue the escalation as the pit grows more elaborate (most notably, with members of Agency getting stuck in during the violence), bodies moving with increasing confidence as breakdowns pile up. The vocalist, dressed in a vintage Cannibal Corpse T-shirt delivers a growled performance that mirrors the blunt force of the riffs and the speed of the drumming. Around them, the band’s visual language nods to older scenes, including a well-worn Arsenal shirt on the guitarist and yet the sound itself feels current. Heavy and uncompromising, Regress position themselves as part of a new generation of London hardcore rather than a revival act. During the end of this set, the vocalist lifted their t-shirt up to reveal a ‘UKHC’ stomach tattoo, pure dedication. This five piece hardcore band really illustrate why it’s important to see the support acts.
Anticipation reaches its peak with Bind., whose arrival is greeted with movement even before the set properly begins. Their opening greeting, a knowingly irreverent “what the fuck is up London”, in a salute to a classic meme, sets the tone for a performance that is both self-aware and forceful. The low end dominates, with the bass underpinning squealing harmonics and frequent breakdowns. Bind.’s approach is direct and accessible, offering an entry point into metalcore without sacrificing weight or intensity. Repetition is embraced rather than avoided, bass drops recur with such frequency that they become structural, a motif rather than a gimmick.
The venue is at capacity by the time No Relief burst onto the stage. Their barking vocal delivery and relentless pacing push the crowd into near-constant motion, drawing in more experienced dancers whose movements animate the space. There is an odd sense of release in the aggression, in this dark, tightly packed room, the chaos feels almost communal. This is hardcore as a physical and social exercise, as much about shared energy as confrontation. The aggressive, relentless pounding of vocals and drums make it hard to not join in. Although, this Brighton based hardcore group are not for the uninitiated, so newcomers are to proceed with caution.
The evening’s most striking moment comes with Sorcerer, whose reputation precedes them and whose presence feels almost oversized for the small upstairs venue. The lights shift to red, and the atmosphere changes accordingly. Moshers settle in for the cerebral assault that follows, swapping swinging arms for head bangs and pushes.
Their sound is expansive and controlled, combining low, droning riffs with distant, anguished screams. The drumming is notably restrained, often pulling back to allow tension to build before the band pivots between speed and spaciousness.
It is here that the night moves from sheer intensity into something more reflective. Sorcerer’s set is carefully constructed, less about inciting chaos than creating an atmosphere as thick as bog, and the result is quietly compelling. In a genre often defined by immediacy, they demonstrate the power of patience and dynamic contrast, leaving the sense that this small room just hosted something much larger.