SOFTCULT GALLERY|LIVE REVIEW

Heavy rain usually thins a queue, but not tonight. Fans stretched down the block long before the doors opened, huddling under umbrellas and hoodies in a kind of pre-show community. Inside, the venue filled fast - mostly young, alterantive regulars who weren't just attending a gig but showing up for a scene. By the time the first band walked out, the room was already humming with excitement.

She's Green eased the night open with their trademark dreamy shoe-gaze, reverb-soaked guitars swimming in and out of focus, airy vocals softened by tambourine shimmer. Their set moved like a tide, slow builds that swelled into heavy alt-rock crescendos, the kind that hit harder in a tightly packed room. The crowd was instantly warm and loud, surprising even for an early slot. A new, likely unreleased song drew strong engagement; phones rose almost in unison as fans filmed the entire build to the track. For a band on their first overseas tour, She's Green played with striking confidence. They closed with a heavy breakdown that landed like a statement, this band may sound weightless, but they hit with a force.

If She's Green set the tone, Softcult took it and blew it wide open. The room somehow packed tighter, front to back, with the crowd singing along from the first note. Their mix was impressively clean: crisp, chiming leads floating over a booming, tactile low end. Softcult's set lived in the tension between drawn-out breakdowns and huge emotional cresendos. "Sick to My Stomach" triggered one of the loudest singalongs of the night, the kind that nearly drowns out the PA. All members contributed vocals; the deeper, gritty backing parts were used sparingly but with excellent dramatic effect. At one point, the bassist climbed onto the kick drum as a dreamy ending stretched out, the crowd holding onto every second.

The band also embraced the moment to speak, celebrating their shared tour with She's Green and reflecting on their own roots in the UK scene despite being Canada-based. Mercedes' political statements, support for trans rights, Palestinian solidarity, feminism were all met with full support from the room. For the final song, dedicated to Sarah Everard, Softcult asked all girls to come to the front in solidarity. They did, without hesitation; behind them, a respectful but energetic mosh broke out. The smoky, backlit stage washed in deep reds and blues turned the band into silhouettes, heightening the sense that something emotionally heavy and communal was happening.

The night felt like a slow, deliberate build from the first reverb-washed chords of She's Green to Softcult's cathartic final moment. The initimate space, the early-arriving crowd, the rain-drenched dedication of fans: all of it combined into a show that felt less like two sets and more like a shared release. By the end, the venue wasn't just buzzing; it felt changed, charged, and deeply connected. A dreamlike night with a sharp emotional edge, one that lingered long after the lights came up and the rain outside finally eased.