Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
There’s something about a warm Friday evening that makes you need live music the way you need air. After a week that felt heavy, heading to Downstairs at the Dome to catch Starbenders live in London felt like exactly the right remedy.
Three bands made up the bill. Electron opened. Dead Writers — a London five-piece — took the middle slot. And Atlanta’s Starbenders headlined, fresh from the February 2026 release of their fourth album “The Beast Goes On” on Sumerian Records. The night had the feeling of a package tour where everyone genuinely belonged on the same bill. That impression proved true the moment the music started.
Hitting the stage right on time at 19:30, Electron met a room that was still finding its feet. Early doors on a Friday always means a sparse crowd, and that’s no reflection on the band. What they brought to the stage was genuinely interesting. Their sound shifted between post-rock and something more melodic and grounded. Nu-metal influences gave the set a satisfying unpredictability. The handful of us there early were well entertained by the band’s physical energy — jumps, movement, commitment across the whole stage. They made the room feel bigger than it was, setting a high energetic bar for the local support to follow.
Photo: Peterson Marti.
If Electron’s job was to wake the room up, Dead Writers were the kind of middle act that can make or break a night — and they absolutely made it. The London five-piece brought a gothic, post-punk sound that’s genuinely difficult to place next to anything else happening right now. That sense of rarity felt like a breath of fresh air. Their dynamic on stage was one of the highlights of the evening too. All five were in real interplay — moving and interacting with each other. That energy kept the performance alive and a little unpredictable throughout.
They kept their London warmth intact between songs as well, chatty and funny without being precious about it. I wasn’t expecting anything less from them — not after reading that Nick Cave reportedly called their work “astonishing” — and watching them live, that endorsement makes complete sense. They left the stage having perfectly primed the crowd for the glam-rock tempest about to cross the Atlantic.
Photo: Peterson Marti.
By the time Starbenders arrived on stage, the room still wasn’t full. Honestly, though, once the show started, none of that mattered.
The green stage lighting set the tone immediately, wrapping the room in an atmosphere that felt like stepping back in time. Not in a forced or nostalgic way, but in the best possible sense — as if the spirit of 70s rock had shown up in 2026 with its full aesthetic and no intention of apologising for it. The light design leaned into this throughout, with a warm, slightly grainy quality. It recalled vintage television — that old glow that makes everything feel like it happened long ago. It’s the kind of choice that looks simple from the outside but transforms the energy of the whole room.
Frontwoman Kimi Shelter commands a stage the way very few people can. Her physicality is striking and her vocal delivery has real staying power. Her presence reads from the back of the room without effort. The vocal harmonies were some of the set’s most striking moments — those layered double voices building on each other. “Tokyo” and “Summon My Heart” in particular had that quality. They were the kind of moments that stop you mid-conversation and pull your attention straight back to the stage. And while the front of the stage had plenty going on, the back was worth watching too. Drummer Qi Wei was sparkling throughout, her technique precise and controlled. Her connection with Tokaji gave the rhythm section a real sense of shared purpose. She’s relatively new to the band, but you wouldn’t know it.
There’s a reason Starbenders are headlining their own tours. Their live show is built on something real: presence, a strong aesthetic, and the kind of energy that makes a room feel complete at any size.
Photo: Peterson Marti.
