LIVE REVIEW: Future Palace @ The Underworld, London

It feels like German post-hardcore trio FUTURE PALACE are on the cusp of something big. They’ve built a name for themselves on stirring, emotional songwriting and were given a deserved boost with a support slot alongside the explosively entertaining ELECTRIC CALLBOY. It’s all led into their biggest headline tour to date, and a show at Camden’s legendary The Underworld.

Tonight’s sole support comes from Stuttgart metalcore quartet VENUES, a curiously named band who’ve probably had a joke made about it more than once. With four of them onstage and two brandishing microphones, it’s clear where the focal point of their music lies, and to their credit there’s some real standout melodies. Employing the classic screamed verse/sung chorus and splitting vocals between the two of them, Lela Gruber and Robin Baumann have an undeniable chemistry onstage. They’ve got a small but dedicated following in the front who happily lose themselves in the music even without the band asking particularly often.

There’s a good mix of songs from across their current catalogue, showing a band with a clear identity for themselves already. A new song makes an appearance too, its working title of In Your Face proving accurate with attitude aplenty. It’s preceded by the soaring chorus of Shifting Colours, offering a heavier, more breakdown focused take on their formula. Gruber‘s melodies are always on point and carry plenty of emotional weight to ground their songs, underscored by Baumann‘s growl. They’re openly overjoyed to be here, expressing their gratitude more than once and grins plastered on their faces throughout. VENUES are clearly a band with promise, and hopefully will continue to hone their songs and their stagecraft. 

Rating: 8/10

The crowd were enthusiastic for VENUES but it’s nothing compared to the effusive welcome FUTURE PALACE are greeted with. Even with the confines of The Underworld they’ve brought the best production they can, tube lights adorning the back walls of the stage as they cycle through a multitude of colours. Opening with a triumphant Defeating Gravity, the trio immediately take control of the evening, the crowd clapping, dancing and singing along to their heart’s content. The thumping bass and electronics of A World In Tears sees far more shapes being thrown than pits, the trio proving their blend of pop and post-hardcore going down a storm. 

Vocalist Maria Lessing commands the gathered throng with ease; she has an easy charisma and dynamic stage presence that keeps eyes on her, while guitarist Manuel Kohlert is just as mobile, whirling round the stage, encouraging clapping and moshing with glee. Lessing is almost drowned out during the chorus of Dead Inside, hundreds of throats belting its chorus in unison. An emotional rendition of Break Free slows down the evening for a moment; timely given someone collapsed in the crowd after Lately, the band pausing the show to endure their safety. A stripped back Maybe (the first song they ever wrote) makes for another tear-jerking moment as Lessing is left alone onstage with just a piano. While too many ballads can sap energy, FUTURE PALACE still have the hooks and dedicated fanbase that keeps the energy up, especially for the explosive Malphas that rears its head not long after. It’s a truly special first trip over to the UK for the band, one that hopefully won’t be the last and will see them returning to headline bigger venues. 

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Claire Hodgkins Photography here:

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