The Molotovs The Voice of the People, The Sound of the Revolution, Rock The Electric Ballroom!

​The Molotovs The Voice of the People, The Sound of the Revolution, Rock The Electric Ballroom to Its Very Core!

To call a Molotov’s gig a mere ‘concert’ is to entirely miss the point! It’s not just entertainment, it’s an urgent, visceral political rally disguised as a punk show, drenched in sweat and noise, and powered by a furious, uncompromising energy. What makes this so staggering is just how young this band are, Matthew is just 17 years old and his sister Issey just 19! This is a fact that only amplifies the mature ferocity of their message. On Thursday might at the Electric Ballroom, Camden, The Molotovs didn’t just play a set; they laid down a gauntlet. They didn’t just invite the crowd to participate; they demanded adherence to a raw, challenging vision of British identity, to join a revolution!

​The air inside the venue was thick with anticipation, smelling of cheap beer and potent political tension. From the moment the lights dropped, the crowd, a surging, unified mass erupted. This wasn’t a polite audience, it was a fiercely loyal army, ready to go to war. Within seconds of the opening chord of “Urbia,” (which was also its live debut), the first bodies were already launched over the barrier. The sight of crowd surfers being passed across the sea of heads wasn’t just a sign of engagement; it was a testament to the chaotic, collective trust this band inspires. They demand physical participation, and their followers give it willingly, treating the experience like a collective act of faith.

​The Molotovs are raw and reassuringly real, something incredibly refreshing and uplifting in a world dominated by commercially driven “comfortable” music! They’re doing it their way and this is a huge part of their core appeal! They have fierce pro-British views and they’re not afraid to shout about them! For The Molotovs, flag-waving is not an act of aggression and they stand against anyone who uses it as such! In fact when Issey spoke to the crowd, she wore her Union Jack dress as a challenge, not a comfort blanket. she fearlessly said, “we are proudly British and we stand against hate”, and the crowd roared their agreement! This isn’t the soft, comforting patriotism of a royal jubilee; it’s a jagged, working-class nationalism that speaks directly to those often ignored or condescended to! They are, undeniably, the voice of the people, the disenfranchised, the proud, and the angry. Every thundering guitar riff and every shouted chorus acts as a battering ram against the establishment they constantly rally against.

​Front and center, the engine of this controlled chaos is Matthew Cartlidge (guitar and lead vocals), a whirlwind of nervous energy and barely contained rage. Matthew is nothing less than the rebirth of a young Paul Weller. He shares the Modfather’s sharp, intelligent gaze, his working-class poetry, and that rare ability to sound utterly defiant! With the rhythmic spine of Issey Cartridge on bass and backing vocals and the brutal precision of Will Fooks on drums, they are a force of nature that demands to be heard!

​The most potent element of The Molotov’s show is the overwhelming feeling of shared grievance. Every person in the room, from the pit to the balcony isn’t just a spectator; they are a participant in a mass catharsis. The collective mood is one of ecstatic rage, a temporary, sweat-drenched sanctuary where years of political and social frustration are validated and screamed into the void. There is a profound sense of understanding, of belonging to a tribe that sees and feels the same things, they are the glue that binds the audience together. It’s what transforms their controversial message from mere slogans into deeply felt, emotional truths.

​This collective fury is the core of their appeal. Their authentic, abrasive punk pedigree is unquestionable; this is, after all, the band that the legendary Sex Pistols chose as their support act, a clear endorsement of their anti-establishment spirit. The Molotov’s possess a fierce political backbone that rarely bends to commercial pressure or critical consensus. Their tracks are raw yet catchy with more than a splattering of singalong potential, yet as far away from saccharine pop as you can get.

​The setlist itself was a carefully structured assault. New tracks like the opener “Urbia” (a live debut) and “My Metallic Wife” proved immediately anthemic, showing a confidence in their new material that few bands possess. Older favourites like “Newsflash” and “Popstar” acted as gasoline on the blazing fire, while the visceral fury of “Father Flag” and the nihilistic crunch of “Wasted on Youth” became the evening’s rallying cries. Even the two David Bowie covers, the glam-punk strut of “Suffragette City” and the essential rock swagger of “Rebel Rebel”, were violently re-engineered to fit the band’s snarling worldview, proving that even classics can be co-opted for their revolutionary cause. Every song, from the blistering intensity of “No Time to Talk” to the closing encore of “Get a Life,” was delivered with an intensity that left the audience staggering and hoarse. As their magnificent cathartic emotion drenched set came to an end and the intensity wanned, we were left with the inevitable, bittersweet conclusion: what a shame they’re not running the country!

Having watched the sheer unadulterated joy and sense of belonging that they have created! And having seen the bands ability to unify, to communicate through shared anger, and to watch in return as the crowd pogo and crowd surf like their lives depend on it, I got the sense of having been a part of something truly incredible, life changing even! It was a much needed cathartic charge of sorts, something dangerous yet glorious!

​The question now isn’t if The Molotov’s will break the mainstream, but when the mainstream will break for them. With a catalogue as strong as the one showcased tonight, the looming release of their debut album “Wasted On Youth” feels less like a step forward and more like a detonation of something that will propel The Molotovs into the stratospheric levels of success that they so rightly deserve!  While their raw live energy is relentless, the anticipation for a studio album that captures the polished, brutal urgency of tracks like “Father Flag” and the singalong potential of “Today’s Gonna Be Our Day” is immense. If they can translate the fire of the Electric Ballroom into the cold permanence of vinyl, their dominance of the UK scene will be sealed. We are not just waiting for an album; we are waiting for a detonation! The final question is not, “Are The Molotov’s going to start a revolution?” because they are the revolution!

To pre-order The Molotovs debut album Wasted On Youth  or to connect with the band visit: The Molotovs

Words and photos by Louise Phillips

Setlist at the Electric Ballroom

​Urbia (Live debut)
Newsflash
​Suffragette City (David Bowie cover)
​Today’s Gonna Be Our Day
​Geraldine
​Wasting My Time
​You
​Johnny Don’t be Scared
​Is there any hope
​My Metallic Wife (Live debut)
​Rhythm of Yourself
​Popstar
​Rebel Rebel (David Bowie cover)
​No Time to Talk
​Father Flag
​Wasted on Youth
​More More More
​Daydreaming
​Come On Now

​Encore:
​Get a Life