It’s been three decades since Echobelly released ON, the Britpop-era gem that cemented them as one of the most vital and distinctive voices of the mid-90s. On Thursday night at London’s Electric Ballroom, the band — fronted by the magnetic Sonya Madan and founding guitarist Glenn Johansson — returned to Camden to celebrate that legacy, playing the album in full to a sold-out crowd that sang, swayed, and grinned their way through one of the most joyous nostalgia trips of the year.
Echobelly @ Electric Ballroom
From the moment the opening riff of Car Fiction rang out, the Ballroom was alive — a crowd ready to relive, not just remember. But it was King Of The Kerb that truly lit the fuse. The audience clapped in unison before belting every word of the 1995 single back at Madan, who beamed with delight as the track stretched into an extended, reimagined outro. Without missing a beat, the band launched into Great Things, the song’s buoyant optimism perfectly matched by a roomful of smiling faces.
“We’re gonna have some fun, aren’t we?” Madan teased early on, the warmth in her voice instantly disarming. When a fan suggested she trade her water for a lager, she shot back, “Give me one then!” — laughter rippling through the crowd. That playfulness carried through the night, as did the effortless chemistry between her and Johansson, whose guitar work remains both sharp and soulful.
“How many natural animals in the house tonight?” Madan asked with a wink before the shimmering Natural Animal, her voice soaring over Johansson’s intricate fretwork. Later, she leaned into the Ballroom’s namesake for a laugh: “Since this is a ballroom, shall we have a waltz? Not much room is there? Let’s have a dirty joke instead! Let’s have something hot!” she quipped, cueing the slow-burn seduction of Something Hot In A Cold Country.
Echobelly @ Electric Ballroom
That blend of sharp wit and pure sincerity has always been Echobelly’s magic. Madan knows how to command a stage — not through theatrics, but through connection. “Give me some Four. Letter. Words,” she challenged the audience next, prompting gleeful shouts of profanity. “Yeeees, go on!” she encouraged before switching gears — “Now some nice words!” — as the band tore into Four Letter Word, one of ON’s most biting and brilliant tracks.
Midway through the set, the nostalgia deepened. “Do you remember 1994?” she asked before In The Year, the band stretching the track with an added instrumental section that gave Johansson’s shimmering guitar tones room to breathe. But it was the opening chords of Dark Therapy that drew the biggest cheers of the night — that unmistakable three-chord progression instantly transforming the room into a chorus of voices. The lush, slow drive of the song has lost none of its potency, and as Madan sang, the Ballroom felt suspended in time.
“We’re coming to the end of ON — and this is the last song,” Madan announced before Worms And Angels, only to smirk as a few fans began to edge toward the exits. “It’s the last one off the album.” When the final notes rang out, she grinned: “We made it!” The crowd roared its approval. “We’re going to play some songs from the first album and some B-sides from ON. Then we’ll fuck off, then you’ll go: ‘more!’, then we might come back on,” she laughed, before launching into 1994 single Close…But.
The second half of the show offered deep cuts and delights for die-hards. Aloha Lolita and Atom, B-sides from Dark Therapy, were standout moments — true treats that reminded everyone just how deep Echobelly’s catalogue runs. Scream closed the main set with power and punch, before a brief break led to a triumphant encore.
Echobelly @ Electric Ballroom
Returning to rapturous applause, the band delivered Father, Ruler, King, Computer with driving intensity, before closing with their eternal anthem, I Can’t Imagine The World Without Me. The crowd’s response was deafening — every lyric sung back, every guitar line cherished.
Echobelly’s return to Camden wasn’t just a trip down memory lane; it was a testament to a band whose songs, spirit, and sense of self still feel vital in 2025. Madan and Johansson have weathered the years with grace and grit, and ON — in all its shimmering, defiant glory — sounds as essential as ever.
They made it indeed. And if Thursday night proved anything, it’s that the world still can’t imagine itself without Echobelly.
Live review & photography of Echobelly @ Electric Ballroom, London by Kalpesh Patel on 16th October 2025.
Third Eye Blind Bring Chaos, Charm And Catharsis To London’s Islington Assembly Hall
Share Thing