LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: AGAINST THE CURRENT AT THE GARAGE, LONDON 10/03/26

Kicking off a short run of six special anniversary shows, this night at The Garage felt less like a routine tour stop and more like a reunion. Anyone who has experienced an Against The Current gig already knows the alchemy that happens when the trio take the stage: part pop spectacle, part cathartic group therapy session. Yet tonight, squeezed into a 600-capacity room in North London, that magic felt more concentrated than ever.

When tickets for Against The Current’s intimate London return went on sale back in January, the scramble was instant. With the crowd of those lucky enough to have got one gathered in front of her, “You’re the real MVPs,” said vocalist Chrissy Costanza as she explained that when tickets went on sale, the band didn’t even have time to post the links before it had sold out. For a band celebrating fifteen years together, it was a fitting reminder of the devotion they’ve built and of just how long London had been waiting for this moment.

The band haven’t played a London venue this intimate in nearly a decade, apart from a one-off appearance at Lafayette in 2024 and the anticipation buzzing through the crowd made that obvious. Long before the first chord rang out, the room was already bursting at the seams. Bodies packed shoulder-to-shoulder meant even a quick trip to the bar or the toilets felt like navigating a human maze, made even more complicated by a winding merch queue. No one seemed to mind, though.

If anything, the tight quarters only heightened the sense that everyone present was witnessing something rare. That energy flipped from simmering to explosive the second the lights dropped.

Coming out onto the stage to a roar that felt almost disproportionate to the room’s modest size, the band wasted no time launching into ‘Talk’. Grins stretched across faces both onstage and off as the opening notes cut through the darkness. Immediately, hands shot into the air and the crowd’s voices surged to meet the chorus. From the very first song, the energy in the room was immense. The momentum only grew stronger as ‘good guy’ followed.

“We do have new things coming for you, but that’s not why we’re here. Tonight we’re here to celebrate that we’ve been a band for fifteen years,” Costanza told the audience. For many bands, fifteen years might feel like a nostalgic victory lap. For Against The Current, it feels more like a reaffirmation. The last few years have been transformative for the group. Since stepping away from their record label in 2022, they’ve been rebuilding their trajectory independently, releasing new material at their own pace while taking time to recalibrate what the project means moving forward.

That independence is clearly something they hold close. Introducing the 2022 single ‘blindfolded’, Costanza reflected on that turning point with visible pride: “This is the first song we got to release after we got our freedom back.”

Still, tonight was a celebration first and foremost, and the setlist leaned heavily into fan favourites that turned the entire venue into one giant sing-along. High-octane tracks like ‘again & again’ and ‘Another You (Another Way)’ kept the pit bouncing, while the surprise return of cult favourites ‘Blood Like Gasoline’ sparked some of the loudest cheers of the night.

Part of what makes these songs land so powerfully is the relationship the band shares with their audience, a connection that feels far more personal than the typical performer-audience dynamic. The result is Costanza’s between-song chatter only reinforced that closeness. She joked about the American fascination with British culture, asking, “Who had a Greggs today?” name dropped Primark and brought up the distinct aroma of “beer and sadness” that defines many late-night visits to ‘spoons pubs.

The inevitable nostalgia peaked during a stripped-back acoustic section midway through the show. Gentle renditions of ‘Infinity’ and ‘Fireproof’ brought a rare hush over the venue, though it didn’t stay quiet for long. As soon as the chorus of ‘Fireproof’ arrived, the entire crowd took over, their voices echoing louder than the band themselves.

Elsewhere, the band showed off the full spectrum of their sound. ‘Chasing Ghosts’ gave Costanza the space to demonstrate her astonishing vocal control, the song’s delicate heartbreak hanging in the air. That vulnerability quickly flipped to exhilarating intensity with the fiery 2022 single ‘Wildfire’.

One refreshing aspect of the night was its simplicity. There were no gimmicks, no theatrical breaks, and no encore routine. Instead, the band powered through a full 21 song set without interruption, letting the songs and the crowd carry the experience. When they reached the point where an encore may usually sit, the opening chords of ‘Gravity’ rang out, and the atmosphere in the room reached a near-transcendent level. Hundreds of voices merged into one collective chorus.

Then, as a rare treat, fans were given the first non-acoustic rendition of ‘Outsiders’ since 2018. Costanza explained that the song was the most requested to be added to the setlist and threatened that, “you better help me sing this one, I’m not sure I remember the words,” and the crowd definitely obliged. Lastly, the closing tracks packed a final emotional punch, the cinematic ‘Legends Never Die’ and the explosive energy of ‘weapon’ provided a fitting finale.

Fifteen years in, Against The Current aren’t coasting on nostalgia, they’re still writing the next act. If this sold-out London show proved anything, it’s that the story is far from over. In fact, it feels like it’s only just beginning again.

Words by Cat Wiltshire

Photos by Florelle Servageon