Live Review: Basement, Anxious, Dynamite & Midrift | O2 Forum Kentish Forum | 19/09/25
A heady mix of grungey shoegaze, emo and hardcore descended upon a packed out Kentish Town as Basement brought their tour to North London.
Midrift
As the lights drop and applause ripples through Kentish Town Forum, three impossibly young figures shuffle onto the stage. This San Francisco trio, clad in gloriously slouchy ’90s fashion (baggy jeans, oversized flannel etc) bring and iconic grunge energy to this North London venue. Bathed in stark white light, Midrift launch into their set with all eyes glued to the floor, instruments hanging almost as long as their arms. There’s no time for small talk, no dramatic openers. Just lush, reverb-soaked guitar tones and drums that bring it all together. By the second song, the energy detonates. The beat shifts into a hardcore tinged territory with light two-stepping breaking out near the front. It’s unexpected, but it works. As they play, The Forum fills up fast, as the young band impress the newcomers. Most bands would crumble under the weight of this crowd, especially with the headliner’s drum kit looming behind them like a challenge. But Midrift don’t flinch and what they play is the sound of 2025’s alt scene: nostalgic, sulky, fuzzed-out and completely locked in.
“This is a dream come true. Basement are our favourite band,” murmurs frontman Gus Merkan between tracks, barely louder than the audiences cheers. Drummer Kai Neukermans explodes into a full-throttle solo toward the end of the set, shaking the Forum’s rafters and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Cheers and screams echo as he quickens the pace before they begin their last song. The only real critique? Confidence and stage presence. Yes, shoegaze thrives in introversion, but a little movement, a glance at the crowd, a spark of charisma, these things could take Midrift from “band to watch” to headliner in their own right. Brooding, nostalgic, and emotional. Midrift are a fantastic opener.
Dynamite
The five-piece from London vomit forth onto the stage with a chest-punching cry of “FREE PALESTINE!” with the unmistakable “LONDON HARDCORE” banner behind them, letting the audience know their politics and origins from the jump. There’s no slow build here, Dynamite detonate from the get-go, all bark, bite and blistering intent. Every inch the political fury of ‘80s hardcore, Dynamite wear their rage on their sleeves and spit it into the crowd. The energy is off the scale. Frontman James Fisher paces like a caged animal before unleashing throat-shredding vocals, tearing through the air like a bullet. Dynamite bring the energy of a best friend punching you in the face repeatedly, trying to make you see sense, and the audience are willing to this sonic assault.
The pit ignites instantly, with those close to the barrier dancing with abandonment within seconds. High kicks, side-to-sides, windmills, this is proper hardcore. The room is electric, and Dynamite are the live wire sparking it all off. By the time they hit their final track, the frontman is in the crowd, mic outstretched as fans scream every word back in his face. Crowd surfers fly past in both directions, limbs flailing, as Basement’s lead singer joins in for a cameo to finish this set. Dynamite comes together to bring a beautiful chaos that makes hardcore what it is. Not shy of audiences of this size, Dynamite came, saw, and obliterated. Not a lot was left standing, but that was kind of the point.
Anxious
Two-stepping onto the stage with unshakable intent, Anxious waste no time cementing themselves as the main support of the night. It’s clear from the first note that this five-piece from Connecticut means business. With hands thrown high, the room erupts as fans shout back at frontman Grady Allen, who thrives on the energy. He throws it straight back, pacing the stage like with eyes wide, commanding the chaos below. The venue is absolutely rammed and not an inch of space remains as the band tear through a tight, high-octane set. Heat rises like steam from the pit, where bodies move in a blur of sweat and crowd surfing. Still, there’s an unexpected balance here, Anxious blend melody and ferocity as the set continues. Making them the perfect sonic bridge between the raw punk of Dynamite and the introspective punch of Basement.
Despite their youthful edge, Anxious play like seasoned pros. The set flows seamlessly, backed by slick transitions, a confident stage presence, and a clear care for their audience. Grady and co. check in regularly between songs, offering gratitude and genuine warmth without ever losing momentum. The production steps up a gear for this penultimate set. Lighting shifts into more dramatic territory, and when they close with a thunderous drum finale, it feels less like an ending and more like a warning shot. As the bright house lights hit and the crew swarms the stage, there’s no doubt. The crowd is primed, the venue is packed, and Basement has one hell of a warmed up audience to play to.
Basement
Basement start their set with an amped up live version of ‘Are You The One’, and the audience instantly bounce and sing, filling the room with the raw emotion and love for this timeless five piece from Ipswich. Lighting operatives double the work for the headliner, twirling the coloured bulbs and making the most of this venue’s resources. The crowd is illuminated during the second song at the behest of lead singer Andrew Fisher who wants to “see you all”. Drinks fly in air as Basement tear into a perfectly emotional rendition of ‘Aquasun’, taking the audience back to 2016 with them.
The set draws upon a catalogue spanning from 2009-2018, filling their fans with nostagia and connecting to the soundtrack of their lives. The audience scream every lyric with undying love, something that is common with a band that taps into so many emotions through their genre defying sound. Basement keep the energy at a high consistently, even when the set has its quieter moments. Against a backdrop of dreamy lighting and softer vocals, the crowd hug their friends and join in singing together in perfect unison.
Die hard fans and observers unite as the band keep a few seconds of silence before softly beginning their now viral ‘Covet’. Fisher turns the mic to the audience, letting them own the song. The venue erupts and hundreds of crowd surfers take their moment to join in the explosion of emo excellence. In an overwhelming moment, nearly 2,300 spectators sang every word perfectly, arms lifted, throats running hoarse, tears welling. Emotional, galvanising and staggering, Basement reign supreme in Kentish Town.
