The Jungle Giants | BOY LOCO
KOKO, Camden
30th July 2025
Photography by Matt Wellham
Matt Wellham
After years of photographing and filming the London music scene, Matt’s now based in Sydney, Australia. A lover of the post-punk and alternative movement, he can usually be found in the grassroots venues, camera in one hand and a beer in the other.
The Jungle Giants throw the ultimate indie dance party, as London’s Australian community pack out London’s KOKO
Australia’s indie-dance royalty The Jungle Giants returned to the UK to kick off a fresh tour ahead of their forthcoming fifth studio album. The Brisbane-based quartet, known for their feel good indie dance vibes and high energy performances, now find themselves in a more emotionally grounded space with recent single ‘Hold My Hand’. Before the writing process began, frontman Sam Hales was thrown into a period of self-discovery following the end of a decade-long relationship and a jet ski accident that required surgery and significant recovery time.
With the new album zooming in on matters of the heart, KOKO felt like the perfect backdrop for the group’s return to the UK. The theatre, lavishly painted in red and gold and adorned with a classical façade, buzzed with energy as fans, many of them London-based Australians, poured through the doors.
Those arriving early were welcomed by BOY LOCO, who took to the stage for just their third-ever live show. The duo, comprising a Welshman and an Irishman and supported by a guitarist, brought a wave of mid-2010s style club bangers. Frontman Darren Flynn’s vocals were smooth, compressed and punchy. Beneath them, tracks ‘Drink In Moderation’, ‘Slow Dancing’ and ‘DNA’ got the crowd moving and the drinks flowing. An Ibiza ready cover of ‘Summertime Sadness’ by Lana Del Rey proved a crowd favourite.
As the boxes and floors wrapping KOKO’s stage began to fill, it was time for The Jungle Giants to step under the spotlight. The band set up on plinths at the back of the stage before Hales sprinted out. ‘On Your Way Down’, the hit single from their meteoric album ‘Quiet Ferocity’, opened the set. The track is a perfect example of the band’s ability to blend chiming indie guitar riffs with a bouncy, club-ready bassline. Hales tore around the stage, waving and pointing to the crowd, who eagerly sang the words back at him.
The first half of the set leaned heavily on tracks from 2021’s ‘Love Signs’, with 2023’s single ‘Trippin Up’ thrown into the mix. This run of songs, more electronic than those found on ‘Quiet Ferocity’, saw red and blue lights pulse and cascade across the stage. The synth-heavy beats and Keelan Bijker’s drumming had the audience’s arms in the air. Hales kept up his connection with the audience, delivering lyrics that spoke to modern love in the age of digital communication.
Then came a shift in gear. The intro to ‘Bad Dream’ rang out and the response from the crowd was electric. Beneath KOKO’s glitterball, now bouncing strobe lights across the venue, the audience surrendered to the infectious earworm. Hales’ vocals shone here, layering improvised vocal runs over the chorus with skill and control. From here on out, it was banger after banger.
‘Quiet Ferocity’ and ‘She’s a Riot’, the title track from the band’s 2012 EP, followed, to the delight of the indieheads in the room. Both tracks had a Darwin Deez-like charm, with guitarist Cesira Aitken weaving playful, energetic tones into the mix. These songs were a nostalgic nod to simpler days and teenage romances, resonating as the crowd chanted, arms around each other: “Oh this love would kill me, but I don’t think I’d mind. Blame it on the way we don’t even care, we know we’ll be alright.”
Their biggest single, ‘Used To Be In Love’, was all gas and no brakes. Bassist Andrew Dooris surged forward, tossing his bass around the stage as he delivered the smooth walking bassline. In true Aussie form, fans clambered onto each other’s shoulders, drinks in hand and arms stretched wide. It was a proper spectacle. A euphoric, synth-drenched crescendo that transformed the theatre into a massive party.
As the night drew to a close, The Jungle Giants performed their latest single, ‘Hold My Hand’. Despite being the newest track, it struck a deeply emotional chord with the audience. Knowing the story behind Hales’ lyrics added a layer of vulnerability, making his repeated plea, “Hold my hand”, all the more poignant and powerful.
A decade of experience was evident throughout The Jungle Giants’ live performance. Their setlist was stacked with hits and free from unnecessary theatrics. Their genre walks a fine line between indie and dance, but they’ve carved out a niche that unites fans of both. You can’t help but leave their show sweatier, elated knowing that you’ve just been to one of the best parties Australia has to offer.
Do yourself a favour and get out to one of the remaining shows on their current UK & Ireland run. If you can’t, tuck into The Jungle Giants‘ latest single ‘Hold My Hand’ below.
Photography by Matt Wellham