LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: SOFTCULT AT THE DOME, LONDON 02/12/25
The Dome in London hosted one of its most exciting lineups of the year as Canadian grunge-duo Softcult returned to the city that helped launch their journey, joined by Minneapolis indie-rock outfit She’s Green for a night of warmth, noise, solidarity.
Opening the night, She’s Green wasted no time winning over the London crowd. Their Midwest-born indie sound resonated beautifully across the room, and by the third song - featuring the singer stepping out with handheld cymbals - the audience reaction surged into full cheers, undeniably into it.
Both vocalist Zofia Smith and guitarist Liam Armstrong took moments between songs to show real gratitude for the headliners: “First ever tour overseas, so stoked to be here, huge thank you to Softcult!”
“We love them so much, it’s been amazing. We love you, Softcult!”
The band also slipped in an unreleased track, and before closing out their set they invited the crowd to a free show on the 8th at The Elephant’s Head in Camden, a clear sign that London will be seeing more of them.
Softcult - twin siblings Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn - have built a reputation for blending grunge, shoegaze, and a fiercely DIY, riot-grrrl spirit. At The Dome, they delivered all of that and much more.
Taking the stage to roaring applause, they opened with ‘Drain’ and a heartfelt greeting: “London, how are you feeling? Man, it feels so good to be back.”
The duo, alongside guitarist Brent McSwiggan and bassist Phil Hirst, dived into a setlist that balanced fan favourites (‘Heaven’, ‘Uzumaki’, ‘Spit It Out’, ‘Haunt You Still’) with glimpses of the future, including new songs (‘Naive’, ‘Pill To Swallow’, ‘16/25’) from their debut album, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, set for release on 30 January 2026. They moved fluidly between atmospheric shoegaze, beautiful vocals by the twin siblings and cathartic screams from the rhythm section, stepping up for powerful vocal moments of their own.
Softcult repeatedly shouted out She’s Green: “They’re such an inspiring band, there’s something special about being able to bring them overseas.”, the support being clearly reciprocated between the two bands, forming a tight touring unit.
Halfway through, Mercedes paused to frame the night in context: “This is the last show of the year for us, first half finishing our record that comes out in January, second half touring our balls off. I can’t think of a better city to end this here.” London, they reminded the crowd, is the city where their story first began: “London will always have a special place in our hearts… our first tour was in the UK and ended in London.”
That intimacy set the tone for ‘Love Song,’ dedicated to everyone who’s supported their journey from the beginning.
True to their ethos, Softcult grounded their performance in conviction. Before the final run of songs, they spoke with honesty and urgency, not holding back: “Free Palestine, don’t let anyone silence you. And of course, trans lives matter.’’
When they announced there were only two songs left, the crowd delivered the mandatory boos, a shared ritual by now. The band laughed, then thanked everyone again: “Before we go, thank you for supporting us. We’re a very DIY band, we couldn’t do this without you. We’re so proud of this new album and can’t wait to share it with you.”
Mercedes Arn-Horn also introduced the last song ‘BWBB’ about Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman from London who was kidnapped and murdered by a police officer in March 2021 while walking home, emphasising: “Gender violence is not a woman’s problem to solve, it’s a man’s problem to solve.”
For this final number, they called: “Girls to the front!”, a callback to riot-grrrl roots that instantly reshaped the room.
The band closed the night (and their year) with blistering renditions of ‘Spit It Out’ and ‘BWBB,’ leaving The Dome absolutely buzzing.
Words and photos by Florelle Servageon.
