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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.
And don’t forget to check out the Live Events section to stay updated on what’s to come!
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LIVE reviews
BIG THIEF | O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON, LONDON | 20 APRIL
NEW!
Big Thief have returned to London with their new headlining run, the Somersault Slide 360 Tour, marking their first headlining tour in the UK in three years. Tonight was the second of a four-night mini residency at O2 Academy Brixton, and the atmosphere reflected a rare kind of shared admiration. The audience spanned all ages, and by the end of the night, every person in the room seemed completely absorbed in the band’s rich tonal shifts and lengthy solos. Despite selling out all four shows, Big Thief kept the staging simple, leaning into a minimalist setup while introducing six unreleased tracks within a 16-song set.
Big Thief - Adrianne Lenker on vocals and guitar, Buck Meek on guitar, James Krivchenia on drums, and new touring bassist Joshua Crumbly - began their set with ‘Casual Touch’, an unreleased track first debuted earlier on the tour. This run also marks Crumbly’s first UK tour with the band following the departure of former bassist Max Oleartchik in 2024. After ‘Certainty’, one of only two songs performed from DRAGON NEW WARM MOUNTAIN I BELIEVE IN YOU, the band shifted into fan favourites ‘Masterpiece’ and ‘Not’, to a screaming crowd.
They followed with two unreleased tracks: ‘Pterodactyl’, a captivating anthem first introduced live just two weeks earlier, and ‘Terrifying’ a song that debuted in 2024 and still remains officially unreleased. Both highlighted the band’s distinctive, intricate sound and their remarkable versatility as musicians. The set then turned to ‘Terminal Paradise’, originally an Adrianne Lenker solo piece from her 2018 album abysskiss, later reworked with the full band for Big Thief’s 2019 record UFOF. This flowed into ‘Real House’, another Lenker composition taken from her most recent solo album, Bright Future.
PRESIDENT | O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN, LONDON | 21 APRIL
NEW!
Eight songs, just eight songs. Industry acclaim, a sold out EU/UK tour and a packed out debut at Download Festival with just eight songs- even more impressive when you remember the latter took place with only two tracks out in the world.
President are a bona fide sensation in the modern metalcore scene, harnessing the power of unanswered mysteries, finely tuned theatrics and a raw, honest sound.
President set lists are still in the era of having just enough songs to make a complete headline slot. With all eight releases featuring, plus a beautiful cover thrown in for food measure, a President live show has no chance of disappointing you, your favourite track will be played for sure. We are in a blessed era though, it won't always be the case as the back catalogue grows and strong tracks are cut from the line up.
‘Fearless’, arguably one of the most quintessential songs so far in the brief President catalogue, opens the show with the tone of intense fandom set early as every word is screamed back from every corner of the room.
‘Rage’ is introduced with the Dylan Thomas poem ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’, the inspiration behind the song, and the more recently released ‘Angel Wings’ follows in its wake.
ALBUM reviews
SOFTCULT - WHEN A FLOWER DOESN’T GROW | 28 JANUARY
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.
CHARLOTTE SANDS - SATELLITE | 6 MARCH
NEW!
With her distinct blue hair and a Y2K meets modern alt edge, Charlotte Sands has become a fearless force in alt-pop. On her sophomore album, SATELLITE, she sharpens her genre-blurring sound into soaring, diaristic anthems built for cathartic, sold-out show singalongs that feel intensely personal yet universal.
When the album was announced, Charlotte let us know how personal an album it was. “‘Satellite’ was born from a search for meaning, identity, and self worth,” she said. “It’s a collection of moments from the last two years of my life - the highs and lows, the joy and the grief. It’s about drifting, discovering, questioning your purpose, and learning to trust the quiet pull that brings you back to yourself.”
And so begins the bold, high-energy world of SATELLITE.
The album opens with the title track ‘Satellite’, two minutes and 36 seconds of pure perfection. With those signature vocals on display with a somewhat eerie backdrop, it carefully builds the anticipation for what to expect from this collection of songs wrapped up as an album. As ‘satellite’ closes, it leads into ‘one eye open’ and listeners are immediately confronted with the distinct possibility that the listening experience will get better with each track.
When ‘one eye open’ was released as a single late last year, listeners were promised a track that showcases Charlotte's mix of emotional intensity and arena-ready hooks. It did not disappoint.
THIS WEEK’S FAVOURITE TRACK
We can’t get enough of Honey Revenge’s catchy new single ‘Hot Commodity’.
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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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