Jinjer @ O2 Forum Kentish Town

Jinjer @ O2 Forum Kentish Town (Daniel Caceiro)

Textures hit the ground running at O2 Forum Kentish Town, and for a band with more than two decades behind them, there was zero rust. Tight, loud, and clearly glad to be back, they sounded as sharp as ever inside the packed Kentish Town room. Their set was short, but the crowd, already filling the floor, gave them the welcome they deserved. The mix of polyrhythmic heaviness and detailed melody set the tone perfectly. Coming back from a long break can expose any cracks, but Textures felt completely current.

Unprocessed followed by a different kind of punch. More polished, more modern, and unapologetically technical, they made it clear from the first notes that they were not there to simply warm the stage. The outfit locked in quickly, moving between crushing breakdowns and clean, atmospheric passages without losing momentum. A few crowdsurfers tried their luck early on, but the room still held back a little, like everyone was saving the real chaos for what was coming.

That changed the second Jinjer walked out. The lights dropped, the big screen behind the band snapped to life, and the crowd got exactly what they came for. Tatiana Shmayluk commanded the stage from the first moment, and the band wasted no time launching into Duél, then pushing straight through Green Serpent and Fast Draw. With each track, the floor turned wilder. The pit opened wide, and crowdsurfers started moving nonstop toward the barrier.

The visual production landed brilliantly, syncing with each song’s mood through crisp, animated imagery, from snakes to stylised guns, bullets, and flashes that matched the music’s sharp edges. It gave the set a clear narrative feel without distracting from what mattered most, the playing.

There is something surgical about how Jinjer moved through the night. Every transition felt deliberate, every heavy section hit with real weight, and the frontwoman’s vocal control stayed unreal throughout. She shifted from punishing lows to clean, soaring lines with total command, never losing power, never losing clarity.

The band barely stopped for breath, tearing through fan favourites like Teacher, Teacher! and the long awaited Pisces with the same precision they brought to newer cuts like Kafka and Hedonist. The room sang back constantly, headbanging in unison, and surging whenever the riffs opened up space for movement. By the time the encore arrived, it was hard to argue against the feeling that this was one of Jinjer’s strongest London shows to date.

Live review and photography of Jinjer with Unprocessed and Textures at O2 Forum Kentish Town on 31st January 2026 by Daniel Caceiro.

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Chelsea Wolfe @ KOKO

Chelsea Wolfe @ KOKO (Daniel Caceiro)

Throughout the night, Wolfe and her band navigated the set by playing the entirety of her critically acclaimed 2024 album She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out to She, seamlessly mixing in classics like 16 Psyche, Flatlands, and Feral Love. Each song carried a trance-like quality, with waves of melody and distortion rising and falling in a carefully crafted balance that held the audience. The venue’s lighting enhanced the experience, shifting with each track to highlight the themes and moods—from the intense reds during House Of Self-Undoing to the ethereal whites in After the Fall. During Tunnel Lights, the interplay of shadows and beams added a visual depth that mirrored the song’s haunting layers.

The second half of the set was a deeper dive into Wolfe’s other songs, featuring tracks like Salt, Unseen World, and Eyes Like Nightshade, which amplified the intensity in the room. Wolfe’s ethereal vocals perfectly matched the powerful riffs and driving percussion, blending vulnerability with strength. For the encore, she returned with The Liminal and closed the night with Carrion Flowers, the rhythms and echoing vocals capturing the full intensity of her artistry.

Chelsea Wolfe’s performance at KOKO was a masterclass in atmospheric and emotionally charged gothic rock, starting strong, having calmer moments and ending up heavier songs, reminding everyone why she’s a force in alternative music. We can only hope it’s not too long before she returns to the UK.

Live review & photography of Chelsea Wolfe at KOKO, London on 29th October 2024 by Daniel Caceiro.

Bleed Out Tour At OVO Arena: Within Temptation’s Epic Performance

Within Temptation @ Wembley Arena

Within Temptation @ Wembley Arena (Daniel Caceiro)

German post-hardcore band Annisokay opened the show with an engaging set, including a surprise appearance by Sharon den Adel during Like a Parasite, setting an energetic tone for the night.

Within Temptation’s set featured a compelling mix of new material and classics. Tracks like We Go to War and Bleed Out addressed timely social issues, while fan favourites such as Stand My Ground and Mother Earth showcased their enduring appeal. The band’s production was visually striking, with LED screens and carefully designed lighting enhancing the performance.

Special guests added depth to the evening. Ukrainian producer and vocalist Alex Yarmak joined for A Fool’s Parade, connecting the performance to the ongoing war in Ukraine, while Finnish soprano Tarja Turunen appeared for a duet on The Promise and I Feel Immortal and returned during the encore for Paradise (What About Us?), simply phenomenal.

Tarja’s appearance was not a surprise but still got everyone at the venue shouting and excited to such a beautiful collaboration between two great artists.

Closing with the title track from their sophomore LP Mother Earth, Within Temptation delivered a performance that was both musically powerful and thematically resonant. The concert was a testament to their ability to innovate while remaining true to their roots, offering fans an experience that was both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Setlist:

1. We Go to War
2. Bleed Out
3. Ritual
4. Don’t Pray for Me
5. Wireless
6. The Reckoning
7. Shot in the Dark
8. Stand My Ground
9. A Fool’s Parade (with Alex Yarmak)
10. The Promise (with Tarja)
11. I Feel Immortal (Tarja cover) (with Tarja)
12. Supernova
13. Faster

Encore: 14. Our Solemn Hour 15. All I Need 16. Paradise (What About Us?) (with Tarja) 17. Mother Earth

Live review & photography of Within Temptation at OVO Arena Wembley, London on 16th November 2024 by Daniel Caceiro

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