ELECTRIC CALLBOY

Cardiff Great Hall 27/10/23

Written by Amelia Hodges

Photography by Courtney Monroe

Electric Callboy’s techno train tour rolled into Cardiff to the delight of many fans for a long sold-out show. After the relatively close show in Bristol the night prior, many fans were still buzzing with anticipation for what was in store for Cardiff. The news of the brilliant performance the night before had made its way through the crowd and had them eager to see the night's headliner. 

Monuments

The crowd was full of energy, and what better way to start the night than with the British progressive metalcore band Monuments.  Frontman Andy CIzek only joined the band in 2019 but has truly cemented himself as a phenomenal frontman and fits the band dynamic well. The band's high energy, transferred to the crowd from the first song and kept that momentum for the entire set. 

As Everything Unfolds

Following Monuments were As Everything Unfolds. Although they’re not as heavy, they had an intensity which proved their place on the tour with vocalist Charlie Rolfe’s outstandingly dynamic vocal performance, going from light, clean vocals to impressive deep growls. The set was an immersive experience and the band came across as true performers, entrancing the audience from the first song. You could see the band really love to perform and this translated well to the audience who gave every bit of energy they had throughout the entire set. It was an accomplished set that seemed very well rehearsed and it paid off for the band. If this show is anything to go by, the band has a very promising future and their upcoming tour is something to look out for. 

Electric Callboy

Waiting for the night’s headliner, looking through the crowd, there was a sea of fans dressed in Halloween costumes and others paying homage to the many iconic looks Electric Callboy has coined over the years. It was a wonderful chaos that is rare to see, and with the fan’s reputation, I would expect nothing less. 

The ever-building tension was cut by a robotic-sounding announcement followed by a hostess on-screen welcoming the audience “onboard” and to enjoy the ride. The dedication to the tour’s theme was outstanding and extremely performative. The crowd were fully on board with the concept and already full of energy before any of the band were onstage.

Fun hyper-pop synths were replaced quickly by guttural screams, double kicks and thunderous breakdowns, a common theme and a glimpse of what to expect for the rest of the night.

Opening with Tekkno Train. The mosh pits were open from the first song and crowd surfers constant. Electric Callboy’s energy was powerful and projected back twice as strong by their adoring fans song after song. It was one of the rare moments where the audience and band were united by every beat and it was a remarkable experience to be a part of. 

Their setlist for the night was a varied mix of the band's discography bringing fans new and old together in one exceptional show. MC Thunder II had the crowd surging and the mosh pits were in full swing before being plunged into the atmosphere with Spaceman and its catchy chorus and the band leans fully into its heritage with its German rapping in the verses. Hate/Love takes us back to their MMXX ep with one of their more straightforward tracks that is easy to move to with its satisfying breakdown. Arguably, the song with the biggest singalong was their tribute to their Eurodance influences with their cover of Cascada's  Everytime We Touch. The euphoric banger Arrow Of Love leads into an undeniably hyperbolic drum solo that could potentially lose the crowd's momentum but blended the techno backing perfectly with each beat, further building the audience's anticipation and adding a flair, leaving the crowd eagerly waiting to see what’s next. The show took a strange turn of events when the band broke out an acoustic guitar to sing a wholly unexpected (but short) cover of Let It Go (from the movie Frozen) combined with The Backstreet Boys I Want It That Way. Proving that this band could do anything at any point, and the crowd loves it. Few bands could pull off such a stunt but the crowd took every unexpected turn in their stride and embraced every strange aspect and had fun with it.

It was a hyperbolic, outrageous and preposterous performance filled with lasers and an abundance of confetti. The pits were sweaty, vigorous and constant and the crowd full of life. It was truly a unique experience that I won't be forgetting soon. It was refreshing to see a band you could see had fun with what they were doing and the audience responded to that.

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Shot by Courtney Monroe