LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: ALT BLK ERA AT THE UNDERWORLD, LONDON 23/04/25
Full photo gallery for ALT BLK ERA here
Full photo gallery for BEX here
ALT BLK ERA's track record so far indicates that those gathered at The Underworld in Camden were witness to the relatively early days of a culturally significant music act. With a MOBO award under their belts and their debut album hitting number one in the Rock & Metal charts, all achieved in the first couple of months of this year, signs point to a band that you will one day say, "Can you believe I saw them at a venue that small!"
The sister duo brought friends with them to set the mood and first up was MontyKeates playing a short but sweet set of groovy, vibey tracks.
"It's great being the opener cause I get to see all of your beautiful faces first" He gushed to those who turned up early and in time to catch him.
There are for sure a few diehard fans in the crowd tonight, the front row throwing up horns and jumping perfectly on cue. Far from an obscure name, Keates is recognisable to those among his 1.1 million followers on TikTok where he has built a community and shares his life and music.
Blasting through a set of smooth electronica he even managed to convince an appreciative crowd to participate in some shenanigans.
"Wanna get down?" Keates asked. His stage presence engaging and sincere with a slight cheeky edge. When the gathered fans complied and crouched down he grinned "That's why I like you guys."
Closing the set with 'Worth Less' and then acknowledging his most famous song, 'Lose my head'. The Underworld was sufficiently warmed.
BEX had seemingly pulled in a crowd of her own too, with the chants of her name starting even before she took to the stage. With riffs spikier than her jacket and an unlimited amount of energy, she urged the crowd to work with her and fill any silences between songs with as much noise as they could manage.
'Cry baby' goes off and goes down well despite technical problems leading to even more chanting, this time asking - What do we want? Bass! When do we want it? Now! - As BEX lamented the fact that the audience had to hear it with 'only one bass'. Indeed, her preference for two basses on her songs stands out in an increasingly crowded scene of girls that rock.
A rowdy circle pit erupted during 'Fight', BEX throwing herself with complete abandon around the stage and then we were led into a cover of Greenday's 'American Idiot' that got every person in the building singing along.
"I wrote this song about you guys," she explained as she launched into the unreleased 'I'll never be like you', a track about not being understood by the general population. Finishing up the set with an impressive amount of crowd surfers BEX launched herself into the crowd then bowed out leaving the room with the sense of an act ready to sit in headline position of her own.
As sisters Nyrobi and Chaya of ALT BLK ERA emerge into an already sweaty room, the promise was - you ain't seen nothing yet.
"We are going to play the album in the way it was written," explains Nyrobi, and so began a complete run through of the new, and debut album - Rave Immortal beginning with the heartfelt 'Straight to Heart'.
The album explores themes of social exclusion and navigating relationships through hardship, transforming somewhere along the way into an voyage into of the joy of youth, parties and a relentlessly positive journey though genre melding tracks. Winding it's own path masterfully through electronica, drum & bass, rock and metal stylings, the album lends itself perfectly to a live setting, starting with tracks about Nyrobi's feeling of being left on the outside while she lives with chronic pain.
The vibe switches up and the album tilts at 'My Drummer's Girlfriend', and this one was always going to be a crowd favourite, the entire room on its collective feet, practically bouncing off the walls. It's worth remembering, this sold-out show happened on the back of the sisters first ever headline tour, stretching the legs of their debut album. There are an astonishing number of firsts here for a band that so confidently commanded the stage like it has been their home for decades.
A makeshift runway is created down the middle of the crowd during 'Hunt You Down' with band members and fans alike strutting down and showing off their moves. 'Run Rabbit' is another set highlight with every voice in the room singing along, but really every track lands. Unlike some albums that can wain towards their end, the placing and pacing of this album goes only upwards, ending with the title track 'Rave Immortal'. A song that feels as if it could already be setting up the vibe for the next offering from the band.
Finishing with a cascade of balloons and the dark, angry and energetic 'I'm Normally Like This', the room was given one last chance to throw themselves around. Although not a part of the album, this is a track that encompasses everything that is unique, loud and unapologetic about the sisters. If the first part of the year is anything to go by you should be very excited about what's coming next.
Words and photos by Imogen Bird.
Full setlist below:
Freak Show
Straight To Heart
Come On Outside
Crashing Parties
My Drummer’s Girlfriend
Hunt You Down
Upstairs Neighbours
Come Fight Me For It
Run Rabbit
Catch Me If You Can
Rave Immortal
I’m Normally Like This