Kelsy Karter & The Heroines stride onto The O2 Arena stage like they own every inch of it. The Australian–British four-piece — fronted by Los Angeles-based, Melbourne-born firecracker Kelsy Karter, with Derby natives Sebastian Boyse on drums, Matt Peach on guitar, and Tommy Gent on bass — waste no time proving why they’ve been chosen to open for Bloodywood and Halestorm.
Kelsy Karter & The Heroines @ The O2
Karter begins God Knows I’ve Tried a cappella, her husky vocal floating across the still-filling arena. It’s a bold move in such a cavernous space, but she pulls every ear towards her before the band slam in and she explodes into full rock-ballad mode. Within seconds she’s shifting from smoky melody to full-throated screams, a reminder that she is, above all else, a theatre kid who learned how to command an audience long before she ever played a club.
“What the fuck is up London?” she shouts, and The O2 answers back with a roar. She blows the crowd a kiss, grinning. “We’re already friends then, yeah?” she teases, her soft Australia-tinged vocals surprising anyone hearing her speak for the first time. “We are Kelsy Karter & The Heroines and we are so bloody excited to be at The O2 tonight.”
Laser To The Heart follows, its shimmering, ’80s-flavoured guitars slicing through the air as Karter paces the stage, pouring water over herself and flicking her hair with pure rock-star abandon. Peach leads the charge with a soaring guitar solo — “Everyone give it up for Matthew Peach!” Karter demands — and the crowd happily obliges.
“Come on London, don’t be shy,” she encourages as the upbeat Cover You bursts to life, a track that feels tailor-made for this kind of arena energy. Then comes a curveball: a slow drum pattern and distinctive bassline ease the band into a cover of Aerosmith’s classic ballad Cryin’. Karter leans into every note, not trying to out-Tyler Steven Tyler, but finding her own grit and ache within the classic. It becomes a standout moment — a reminder of how much emotional depth sits beneath the fire and swagger.
Lightning In A Bottle keeps the pace high, while Devil On My Shoulder lets the band lean into darker, heavier edges. By the time they launch into closer Liquor Store On Mars, The O2 Arena is buzzing, the audience fully converted.
Tonight, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines don’t play like an opening act — they play like a band intent on stealing the show. And judging by the cheers echoing long after they leave the stage, they very nearly do.
Live review & photography of elsy Karter & The Heroines @ The, London by Kalpesh Patel on 26th November 2025.
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