Wargasm | Scene Queen | Fearless Vampire Killers | Knife Bride
O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
27th October 2022

British nu-metal risers Wargasm descend upon London for their biggest headline show to date!

Wargasm have been making waves across the music scene over the past few years, seeming to have risen from nowhere to become one of the most energetic live British bands The Prodigy with a distinctive blend of electronic and hard hitting breakdowns.

Having just come supporting Limp Bizkit on their US tour and having dominated the festival scene this year, Wargasm returned home to London to headline one of their biggest shows to date. 

Straight off the bat tonight’s show proved to be a monumental success in showcasing some of the best female vocalists in metal the scene currently has on offer. Brighton’s Knife Bride kicked things off and despite opening only 20 minutes after doors they proved to be a roaring success, whipping the eager fans into a monumental frenzy and giving the audience a taste of the night ahead. 

Next up were some familiar faces, not seen for quite some time. If you grew up in the 2010’s and read Kerrang! then without a doubt you would have stumbled across the one and only emo icons Fearless Vampire Killers. It was notable that the FVK fanbase was out in force tonight with many a young fan dawning their war paint and singing their hearts out to some of their most iconic tracks. Having taken a back seat from touring and music in general I was sceptical as to how this once legendary band would go down taking back to the stage, and I must admit I was not disappointed. Having not listened to their music before it was undeniable that FVK brought their A game, and fans to say the least were not left disappointed.

Now the next act Scene Queen is a fairly newer addition to the scene having dominated the socials with her new take on the genre and bringing in her own sub-genre ‘Bimbocore’, which is a mix of metalcore and feminist themes. Whilst not something I would listen to at home the energy and hilarity of this performance was undeniably fantastic and a refreshing new twist on genre. Say what you will but witnessing a “Twerk Pit” for the first time was definitely something I never expected I would be putting into writing.

As the dust settles following there’s an undeniable buzz in the air as eager fans wait for headliners Wargasm (duo Sam Matlock and Milkie Way) to descend upon the stage and put on their biggest headline show to date. Having been a highlight at Download Festival over the past two years and having also won the New Noise Award at the Kerrang! Awards earlier this year this was surely going to be a show to remember, with Andy Copping (Organiser of Download Festival) even making a guest appearance at side stage. 

As the lights dim the crowd is treated to a disco rendition of Slipknot’s “Psychosocial” blended with “Love Shack” by the The B-52’s which goes without saying went down a treat, was then followed by the duo exploding onto stage with the duo donning their distinctive attires respectably. With the tracks initial drop the room was sent into a frenzy followed by the mix of NSFW vocals, mammoth riffs and the duo’s high-octane energy the mosh pit and crowd surfers alike sent security rushing to the barrier.

Don’t let the photos fool you, just lying behind my lens was a sea of bodies being thrown towards the front (I’m just glad I renewed my insurance for this show!). 

Taking a break from the chaos Wargasm also performed some of their more melodic tracks with the likes of “Fukstar”, and “Your Patron Saint” giving vocalist Sam to take to the crowd and get a better look at the fans. 

Whilst not photographed by myself – Wargasm had a little secret up their sleeve and brought on none other than Enter Shikari’s lead vocalist Rou Reynolds to perform their absolutely epic recent Collab track “The Void Stares Back”. 

Whilst Wargasm have been known for their absolutely battering small scale shows in tiny venues, their headline show at the O2 Forum has proved they can be just as chaotic and incredible in a larger space. I implore anyone looking for something fresh and exciting to head on down to catch these guys before they take to the bigger stages. This is an experience you’ll want to have while Wargasm are on their ride to stardom.