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for all music lovers

Livesphere is an online music magazine led by a female collective united by the love of music, dedicated to bringing you the latest music news, reviews, live photos and insights, predominantly in London and the UK as well as throughout Europe. Whether you're a fan of rock, metal, alternative, pop, or indie, we’ve got you covered with in-depth features on artists, album releases, concert reviews, and interviews.

And don’t forget to check out the Live Events section to stay updated on what’s to come!

LIVE reviews

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE | ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON | 14 FEBRUARY

NEW!

For any fanbase, four years is a serious amount of time to be waiting for new music. Since 2022’s Scoring the End of the World, Motionless in White have left fans hanging, but the wait is over. Latest single, ‘Afraid Of The Dark’ hails the next epoch of the Pennsylvania Goth Metallers and they have thrown all caution to the wind and headed out on a UK and EU tour, solely based on this 4 minutes of new material. They're keen, we're keen - bring on the theatrics.

As tolling bells rang out across Ally Pally and the bizarre spinning cat opening credits concluded, Motionless in White greeted their biggest ever London crowd with an early onslaught of pyro and an appearance from the feisty Cherry Bombs dance troupe welding flame throwers. Starting as they meant to go on the drama and energy was a 10/10 from the opening notes of ‘Meltdown’.

Bathed in green light, the set really got going with the Cherry Bombs returning, this time with sparking angle grinders as frontman Chris Cerulli yelled across the expanse, “When I count to four, this entire floor goes up and down. This one is called ‘Sign of Life’”.

Cerulli then took a second to humble himself in front of the room, “I'm just gonna stare at you guys for a second is that okay? It is Valentine's Day after all, I just wanna adore you.” Motionless in White are that stereotype of alternative people who look scary as hell but are actually the sweetest souls, the sincerity of Cerulli's appreciation obvious.

'A-M-E-R-I-C-A' followed, a prime example of the political angle that some Motionless in White songs lean into, it was also a massive sing-along moment.

MIKA | OVO ARENA WEMBLEY, LONDON | 12 FEBRUARY

NEW!

In a world that often feels fractured by digital noise and social division, MIKA remains the ultimate architect of connection. His performance at Wembley Arena on February 12, 2026, was a vibrant, mechanical, and deeply human manifesto. This is an artist who doesn't simply inhabit an era; he creates them in real-time. Whether you were a child there with your parents, a long-time queer fan, or someone who simply fell in love with his music through a "mum recommendation," Wembley became a space where time, age, and labels ceased to matter.

Before we get into his genius, let’s talk a little bit about the main attraction. Born in Beirut and raised in London, MIKA has always been a citizen of the world, a fact reflected in the kaleidoscopic nature of his music. He first exploded onto the global stage in 2007 with his multi-platinum debut, LIFE IN CARTOON MOTION (2007). Armed with a four-octave range and a refusal to play by the rules of traditional indie-rock popular at the time, he became an overnight icon with 'Grace Kelly', a track that famously lampooned the very industry suits who told him he was "a little too gay" to succeed.

While he has spent the last two decades becoming a household name across Europe - headlining stadiums in Italy and France and even hosting Eurovision - his 2026 return to the UK charts has been nothing short of a triumph. His latest album, HYPERLOVE (2026), debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, moving 5,108 album-equivalent units in its first week, marking his highest chart album in the country since THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (2009). Not only this, but it placed at number four on the UK Albums Sales Chart, and at number seven on the UK Vinyl Albums Chart. In Scotland, the album debuted at number four on the Scottish Album Charts, Mika's highest charting album in the country since his second album in 2009.

ALBUM reviews

SOFTCULT - WHEN A FLOWER DOESN’T GROW | 28 JANUARY

NEW!

For Softcult, twin sisters Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, moving from a few short EPs to a full-length album feels like finally getting to tell the whole story. While their early singles were quick snapshots of emotions, a debut album is the first time the siblings have the space to really open up.

On their debut full-length When A Flower Doesn't Grow, the siblings deliver Softcult’s most unflinching work to date. Born from a period of personal upheaval, the album explores the path from trauma to liberation, anchored by a central philosophy: “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” The album’s title is a nod to the environmental and social factors that stunt personal growth. Throughout the tracklist, the sisters tackle heavy themes with a blend of empathy and righteous anger: predatory behaviour, gaslighting and empowerment.

After years of testing out their sound and finding their voice, this record is where everything finally clicks. Produced by the band themselves, the production on this record is a massive step forward. It retains the shimmering textures of Cocteau Twins and the crushing, reverb-soaked weight of My Bloody Valentine, but there is a new "cleanliness" to the melodies that allows Mercedes’ vocals to pierce through the atmosphere and make the Softcult sound truly their own.

The album’s title is a nod to the environmental and social factors that stunt personal growth. Throughout the tracklist, the sisters tackle heavy themes with a blend of empathy and righteous anger: predatory behaviour, gaslighting and empowerment.

After a brief, soft intro track, the album opens up with the single ‘Pill To Swallow’ setting the stage with a masterclass in the "spiritual grunge" sound that the Arn-Horn siblings have pioneered: an immersive blend of shoegaze textures and 90s alt-rock grit.

MOTHER VULTURE - CARTOON VIOLENCE | 15 JANUARY

NEW!

Everybody say "Thank you Mother Vulture". In the deep, dark depths of frozen January there is salvation from the humdrum to be found in the electrifying pandemonium of Cartoon Violence. If anyone was worried this album couldn't live up to 2022's raucous Mother Knows Best, they needn't have lost any sleep, Cartoon Violence is a demonstration of what happens when determination and creative skill combine, expertly steered by four individuals who know who they are as a cohesive group and how to flaunt themselves convincingly through music. Where some rock artists aim to give the sonic version of a middle finger, Mother Vulture instead beckons.

‘Mike Check’ opens by sampling Mike Patton of Faith No More going in on Wolfmother at Lollapalooza Festival, before a rip roaring scream by singer Georgi Valentine and one of Chris Simpson's filthy bass riffs flings us into proceedings with no safety harness in sight. This album opener does indeed conjure the feeling of being thrown around violently on a fairground ride, dangerous but in a thrilling, moreish way. 

Don't imagine the rest of the album will loosen its grip though, ‘Sufferin' Succotash!’ is similarly frantic but in more of an unhinged- toddler hopped up on sugar way as it surfs through multiple tempo changes, breakdowns, vocal effects, moments of self-aware humour and a tasty guitar solo from guitarist Brodie Maguire.

‘Treadmill’ rumbles on relentlessly, manifesting the song's theme- "Life ain't a highway no, it's a treadmill'. The first of only four tracks on this album released prior to the full offering, it is a darker, more intense moment with a serious subject of monotony and the struggles many may have experienced. ‘Treadmill’ also features Valentine singing in Bulgarian for an entire verse, the icing on the cake of a true journey of a song.

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THIS WEEK’S FAVOURITE TRACK

We can’t get enough of KATSEYE’s catchy new single ‘Internet Girl’.

aboutus

We are an inclusive, independent, non-profit publication led by a female collective launched out of sheer passion for live music and all things music related.

Executive Editor and Photographer: Florelle Servageon

Contact: florelle@livesphere-magazine.com

Editor and Photographer: Eva Grant

Contact: eva@livesphere-magazine.com

Lead Writer & Photographer: Imogen Bird

Contact: imogen@livesphere-magazine.com

Writer (Platform ‘96): Vlad-Paul Ghilaș

Contact: platform96events@gmail.com

Contributors: Nadine Goetz (Writer and Photographer), Justyna Serafin (Photographer), Bia Vismara (Writer), Isabella Jacklin (Writer), Maria Dominici (Writer), Cat Wiltshire (Writer), Auré (Writer), Liv Kendall (Writer), Verity Eaden (Writer), Julie Moisson (Writer), Julia Jevzikova (Photographer), Charlie Wright (Photographer)

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