Reviewed by Andrea Bird
Photographed by Kevin Gaughan
Gig organised by Magic Teapot
At Firebug on 18th May 2026, four bands/artists played electro tunes. In ascending order of coming on stage was Colossloth, Sonar//Radar, Bruise Blood and The Utopia Strong
Colossloth opened the night to whirlpool like sounds on the synth. The music ranged in intensity, eventually sounding pneumatic like. Three tunes were played across the 30 minutes that oozed electro rhythms.
Sonar//Radar with 4 in the band, had the electric guitar lead the intro of the first song. There was a rock feel and a seaside-like feel to the riffs. On drums was Dan Hessing, synth Ben Moore, bass Andy Ashey, guitar/vocals Harvey Sharman. There was a good volume and feel to the music with a Strong drum featuring on the second song.
The songs were amazing with good, catchy riffs. The synth sounded like a harmonica, often giving one of the songs an 80’s feel.
Bruise Blood came on set with a haunting red background, with a rotating robot. The duo played the guitar and synth. There was a haunting introduction sounding like an alien invasion. High-frequency sounds played for a few minutes before the rhythm started. The music was jarry, sticky with clashing sounds. The quality sounded like an LP playing because of the pickup on the treble. There were techno disco beats like Ministry of Sound music. Overall, the set was good dance rhythms accompanied by electric guitar riffs.
A good performance from The Utopia Strong, who played in a bold way common of their electronic tendency.
Around since 2018, they played a mix of songs taken from their latest album. Steve Davis was on synth, Kavus Torabi on guitar and Michael York on percussion, played harmoniously for the full set. The band originating from Glastonbury gave a moving performance, playing some of the ambient tunes that showed their heritage.
