LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: HOT MILK AT THE ROUNDHOUSE, LONDON 19/11/25
Full photo gallery here
At the iconic Roundhouse in Camden, Manchester-based Hot Milk delivered a sweaty, high-voltage celebration of everything that makes them one of the UK’s most beloved modern rock bands. Equal parts chaos, emotional catharsis, and joyful rebellion, the night felt like a punk-pop manifesto for alternative music fans.
Atlanta’s self-proclaimed “Rap Rock Nu-Metal Hip Hop Fiesta Extravaganza” Silly Goose wasted no time turning the Roundhouse into a riot. The set was a whirlwind of moshing, crowd surfers, and pure adrenaline.
“From front to back, from side to side, I wanna see everyone jumping!” they yelled before detonating ‘Tsunami,’ and the audience happily obliged. Between gratitude-filled shoutouts - “We are so thankful to be here… come say hello at the merch table!” - the band kept the energy at “full chaos” as they tore through the setlist, including ‘Cowboy’, ‘Traffic’, ‘Split’, and ‘Heart Attack’.
The outfit had one final request: “We got one more fucking song, let’s lose our shit!” before diving into the last song ‘Bad Behavior’. And lose it, the London crowd certainly did.
Next up, Alt-rock powerhouse Cassyette swept onto the stage: raw, powerful and effortless is how to best describe the English singer-songwriter’s ‘‘third show of 2025’’. She owned the room instantly, commanding circle pits and getting the crowd moving.
Her set blended heartbreak and fury, punctuated by the exclusive performance of a brand new, unreleased track ‘Oops’. Every moment radiated confidence as she belted alt-rock anthems such as ‘September Rain,’, ‘Ipecac’, ‘Boyfriend’ and ‘Petrichor,’ closing the set with ‘Dear Goth.’ Her shoutout to the headliners - “Big up to Hot Milk for having us” - earned huge cheers from the crowd.
Police sirens blared and lights strobed as Hot Milk emerged on stage in front of a packed Roundhouse. Vocalists and guitarists Han Mee and Jim Shaw, alongside bassist Tom Paton and drummer Harry Deller, tore into the first song, ‘Hell Is On Its Way’, with a ferocity that set the tone for the night: bodies moving, drinks flying, and crowdsurfers practically surfing before the first chorus, it was clear that the night was going to be pure chaos, in the best possible way.
The band performed through their catalogue with electric energy, from newer tracks from their most recent record Corporation P.O.P (‘Swallow This’, ‘Sunburn From Your Bible’, ‘Machine Elves’, ‘90 Seconds to Midnight’) to their EPs I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I'M DEAD (2021), with the self-titled track, and The King and Queen of Gasoline (2022) (‘Bad Influence’), every era was highlighted.
Hot Milk have certainly embraced big-stage theatrics for this tour: towering flags in the background, dramatic lighting, and a sharp sound mix - courtesy of multi-talented Jim Shaw who also does production and lighting design alongside his own musical career. Yet despite the upgrade, nothing about the band’s rough-edged charm has been polished away. If anything, the contrast between glossy production and sincere performance made the night even more special.
Mee’s voice was sharp, emotive, unfiltered, while Shaw’s effortless shift from clean vocals to screams kept the entire room on its toes. Their chemistry, both natural and deeply affectionate, remains the engine powering Hot Milk’s ascent, alongside their raw sincerity and authenticity.
Light banter is also a key feature in a Hot Milk show. Chaos became comedy when Mee joked, “London, you gorgeous people, just look at you! Not an unattractive face out there… aside from him,” gesturing towards Shaw. ‘‘Insubordinate Ingerland’ also arrived with classic Han Mee attitude: “Listen right, it’s a social commentary, calm your tits’’, a slightly revisited version of the original words.
One of the night’s most surprising turns came with a remade, darker Nightmare version of the fan favourite ‘Candy Coated Lie$’, after Mee explained how they fell out of love with the original track, which led to a rearranged version for the tour, much closer in sound to their current material.
Later, during ‘The American Machine’, Mee demanded unity in an unexpected turn: “I need to see everyone hugging each other, are you ready?” and suddenly the Roundhouse became one.
‘HORROR SHOW’ unleashed impressive guitar solos from Shaw. At one point during the show he sported a Pope hat, prompting Han to quip: “I’m sure his Catholic mother will be totally okay with that.”
Hot Milk shows feel less like concerts and more like organized chaos run by a pair of charismatic cult leaders. The band have truly mastered the art of connection with their fans: whether demanding circle pits, hugs or torches up during ‘BREATHING UNDERWATER’, the duo made every person in the room felt like they were part of something bigger. The audience responded in kind, screaming every word, jumping, bodies surfing over the crowd, the venue covered in sweat, and massive grins on faces at all times - mine included.
The emotional climax came when Mee paused, visibly emotional and overwhelmed at the sight of the packed venue: “The Roundhouse… we fucking did it. Thank you so much for coming out, you’ve made four people’s dream come true.”
It is worth noting that the band had already played the Roundhouse back in 2022 supporting Pale Waves, but this time coming back for their own headline show certainly felt different. Tears flowed as the crowd roared back their love. Mee also took a moment to thank their manager Gus Brandt for believing in them and teased: “And the best thing is, we’re not done yet, are we? More metal nights out.”
Then everything flipped again: ‘BLOODSTREAM’ brought the high energy back. ’OVER YOUR DEAD BODY’, ‘Asphyxiate’ and ‘Glass Spiders’ followed - all providing even more chaos, with mosh pits and crowdsurfers back at it again.
The encore delivered one last adrenaline spike: ‘Sympathy Symphony’, with Shaw’s effortless clean-to-scream vocals, the energetic ‘PARTY ON MY DEATHBED’ and the closer ‘Chase The Dragon’, with Mee introducing the band: “Harry and Tom… and my best friend, Mr Jim Shaw”, a heartfelt touch cementing the duo’s deep connection as a central part of the band.
Headlining the Roundhouse is no small milestone, but Hot Milk rose to the occasion and delivered a show that proved they belong on stages of this scale, and bigger. Their live shows are passionate, somewhat unhinged, cathartic, and definitely unforgettable - the exact kind of night out alternative fans crave, and the quartet certainly delivered.
Words and photos by Florelle Servageon.
Full setlist below:
Hell Is on Its Way
Swallow This
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I'M DEAD
Sunburn From Your Bible
Machine Elves
90 Seconds To Midnight
Bad Influence
Insubordinate Ingerland
Candy Coated Lie$ (Nightmare version)
The American Machine
HORROR SHOW
BREATHING UNDERWATER
BLOODSTREAM
OVER YOUR DEAD BODY
Sediments (Interlude)
Asphyxiate
Glass Spiders
Sympathy Symphony
PARTY ON MY DEATHBED
Chase The Dragon
