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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.
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LIVE reviews
PALE WAVES | KOKO, LONDON | 25 SEPTEMBER
NEW!
Last Friday night Pale Waves took over a packed KOKO in Camden, bringing a fresh setlist, two fantastic support acts, and a sold-out crowd ready to tear the house down. A Pale Waves show is not your standard concert, it is truly an experience where anthemic alt-rock and unapologetic self-expression merge into one, where fuzzy guitars meet unfiltered singalongs, and every corner of the room just radiates pure queer joy.
Over the years, the band has really found their stride live. They've shifted from their early The 1975-style goth-pop into a punchier, late-’90s alt-rock and pop-punk sound, delivering a night that felt like equal parts alt-indie party and massive community celebration where everyone is truly welcome.
By the time Pale Waves hit the stage, the atmosphere was already electric. Opening up with ‘Kiss Me Again’ and followed by ‘Television Romance’, the trio - comprised of Heather Baron-Gracie on vocals and guitar, Charlie Wood on bass and Ciára Doran on drums - proved instantly why they remain such a magnetic live force.
‘Perfume’ and ‘Red’ kept the energy on a high, before Wood provided an immediate candidate for quote of the night by surveying the magnificent decor and announcing, “This ain’t a shithole!”, following up with a quick temperature check: “Have you seen us before? What do you reckon, we aren’t bad, right?’’
That was a subtle understatement. Following up with ‘Zombie’, the front rows as well as the rest of the venue - balconies included - devolved into a beautiful mess of jumping, and screaming every word back.
THE WATERBOYS | THE O2 ARENA | 12 SEPTEMBER
NEW!
Few bands could play their biggest, career-defining hits in the first act of an arena show and still hold the audience’s attention for another two hours. But Mike Scott has never played by the rules. On September 12th, The Waterboys brought their 2026 international Fisherman’s Blues Revue tour to a close at London’s O2 Arena with a nearly three-hour performance that wasn’t just a predictable trip down memory lane. Instead, the show channelled the raw, unruly energy of the band’s late 1980s Celtic folk-rock era.
Led by Scottish singer and guitarist Mike Scott, the band transformed the arena into a lively, foot-stomping Irish pub, filled with communal singalongs, lots of dancing and an atmosphere of genuine celebration. Scott was joined by an eight-piece ensemble including the return of fuzz-fiddle player Steve Wickham, as well as flute and tin whistle player Colin Blakey. American singer-songwriter Steve Earle also became an integral part of the lineup during the second half of the show.
The show was structured as a three-act performance, with the opening section focused on the band’s core rock sound. It featured hits such as ‘A Girl Called Johnny’, ‘The Whole of the Moon’ and ‘We Will Not Be Lovers’, while ‘How Long Will I Love You’ appeared just three songs into the set, giving the evening an immediate kick-start with several of the band’s best-known tracks. Scott remained an engaging presence between songs, sharing stories and drawing the audience into the band’s history.
ALBUM reviews
MUSE - THE WOW! SIGNAL | 26 JUNE
Muse's tenth studio album, THE WOW! SIGNAL, is arguably their strongest and most focused release since BLACK HOLES and REVELATIONS. It doesn't reinvent the band, but it refines nearly every aspect of what they've spent 25 years building: towering riffs, cinematic production, science-fiction themes, and emotional vulnerability.
THE WOW! SIGNAL, inspired by a mysterious radio transmission once thought to be a possible sign of extraterrestrial intelligence detected in 1977, becomes a symbol for reaching out into the unknown and wondering whether anyone is listening. Lead singer Matt Bellamy has said the songs were influenced by a difficult personal period, giving the record a level of emotional honesty that hasn't been this apparent for years.
When the band released 'Unravelling' in June 2025 as the first glimpse of what would eventually become THE WOW! SIGNAL, it immediately sparked excitement among fans. The single felt like a statement of intent. Its combination of crushing riffs, shimmering synths and an expansive, atmospheric sound suggested that Muse were entering a new creative chapter rather than simply revisiting familiar territory. 'Unravelling' was proof that the band still had surprises left.
The album often plays like the soundtrack to an epic science-fiction film. Orchestral arrangements, cinematic synthesizers and sweeping instrumental passages create the feeling of drifting through galaxies before erupting into thunderous guitar-driven climaxes, as if supernovas were unleashing their cosmic tapestry. Tracks seamlessly blend progressive rock, electronic music and symphonic textures, giving the record a grand, immersive quality that rewards listening from beginning to end.
Starting off with 'The Dark Forest', the album introduces a universe that is both beautiful and intimidating, where haunting synths, orchestral flourishes and crushing guitars capture the feeling of drifting into an endless void. The fans will appreciate the sharp and cutting signature attack of the guitar, also present in the classic track 'Knights of Cydonia'. The staccato, galloping tempo is cinematic and takes you off the Earth.
156/SILENCE - FROM A DISTANCE | 4 SEPTEMBER
NEW!
When asking the question; ‘What makes a 156/Silence album?’ Don't expect the answer to be forthcoming. The Pittsburgh outfit aren't in the habit of repeating themselves.
Over their previous album releases, the band have made a point to never stand still in their soundscape. 2026’s melodic and curated version of the quintet a far cry from 2018’s Undercover Scumbag, which led with gritty punk guitars and highly emotive, bass heavy stoner rock flavours. Irrational Pull in 2020 introduced a clearer, metal forward direction, while retaining the darkness and intensity that the fans- picked up along the way- craved. Narrative in 2022 opened up doors to a freer creative direction, more risks taken, more rewards reaped, with a slight lean into electronics and a hint to the future of the band. This era introduced the kind of metal you're compelled to add lasers to. People Watching in 2024 seemed to lead with a new kind of confidence, the path well-trodden- of never treading the same path, fully fixed the trajectory of the 156/Silence journey with a new confidence and intention that has culminated in From A Distance, the most reaching and self-assured offering from the band so far.
Opening with a clip from hit TV show Severance, featuring Helly R talking about personhood and personal governance, ‘Control Burns’ is a creeping start, which acts as far more than an introduction track and more as a bellwether for the themes set out on the sonic journey to come.
THIS WEEK’S FAVOURITE TRACK
We can’t get enough of Vana’s new song ‘Bleeding Heart’.
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
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Lead Writer & Photographer: Imogen Bird
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