Concerts Reviews
Stray Kids Electrify BST Hyde Park with Groundbreaking Performance – Live Review
On July 14th, over 50,000 fans were swept into the vibrant ‘Megaverse’ of Stray Kids at the British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park Festival. The long-awaited comeback of the eight-member K-pop sensation marked their debut headline performance in Europe, making them the first K-pop male group to headline a European festival. This historic event was a testament to their meteoric rise across the globe, as they headlined their sold-out festival.
The 8 members – Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N – lit up Hyde Park, turning a thunderous week into a bright, sunny celebration on Sunday Thousands of fans, known as ‘Stays,’ gathered from all corners of the world, eager to witness the group that has been at the top their playlists for years, some even for the first time. The 350-acre park buzzed with excitement, offering a plethora of mouth-watering snacks and finger foods, alongside ten stellar opening acts to entertain the crowd before the main event.
The festival’s lineup included captivating performances by Taiwanese singer KIRE, who enthralled the audience with his sensual stage presence, and the South Korean girl group NMIXX, who energized the crowd with their schoolgirl-themed outfits and dynamic mix of rap and R&B. Other notable acts included Alec Benjamin, Dhruv, The Cuban Brothers, Maisie Peters, Alien Blaze, Bellah Mae, The Live Carnival, Elijah Woods, Ben Ellis, and Tyler Lewis.
As the sun set and anticipation peaked, Stray Kids took to the stage around 9 PM with their track “S-CLASS,” which won the Top 20 Songs of the Year in 2023 at the Asian Pop Music Awards, setting the tone for a stellar night of jams. The Great Oak Stage was adorned with a bold red tapestry, which dramatically unveiled the eight members against a backdrop of Marvel-themed visuals that showcased their unique style and music videos. Fans chanted “Stray Kids all over the world” in unison, their excitement echoing through the park.
The group’s performance was a sensory overload, with dazzling choreography, powerful vocals, and high-energy interactions that left the crowd in awe. From tracks titled, “THUNDEROUS,” “SUPER BOWL” and “MANIAC”. A perfect blend of high pitch notes by I.N, sick rap lines by HAN and Felix‘s deep baritone voice captivated every ‘Stay.’ The group repeatedly went around and engaged the audience, keeping them bumping till the very end. Their carefree and bubbly personality kept supporters laughing and entertained, matching the group’s high energy performance. Bang Chan, the main speaker of the group, teased fans that the show was over mid way into the show, asking them “if they had a bedtime” and that “it was time to finalize the show.” Leading the crowd to applaud even louder and not take no for an answer, they chanted one more song until the group played more songs to close off. By the end of their 20-song set, which spanned their various albums, the crowd was left breathless and wanting more. Exactly like the lyrics in their chart-topping song “LALALALA” that reached 44.7 million streams and ranked #10 on the Billboard Global 200 stated, “Rock and roll, we dance ’til we fall” the crowd did exactly that.
Stray Kids‘ performance was not just about the music; it was an experience. Fire blazing hot fumes filled the air heating up the pumped atmosphere in Hyde Park, these stars skyrocketed London’s music culture with a tasteful blend of k-pop lighting up the night sky with dazzling fireworks during their “MIROH” song.
Submerged in Stray Kids universe of sick moves and vocals, many are anticipating when they will come back to London, and are hyped for their world tour called DominATE which kicks off in Seoul this fall with additional dates to be announced for Latin America, Europe, and North America. After their stellar performance, to keep the momentum going, they made sure to leave ‘Stays’ with a new album to keep the fun pumping and announced the release of their new album, set to drop on July 19th, featuring eight new tracks. This group will not fail to disappoint the world with their greatness, and will continue to dominate the music industry.
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Arkells Close Out Vancouver City Takeover With Explosive Commodore Set
Canadian rock band Arkells wrapped up the Vancouver stop of its “Between Us City Takeovers” run on May 9 with a packed show at Commodore Ballroom. After two smaller warm-up gigs earlier in the week at The Penthouse and Hollywood Theatre, the band landed in the sweet spot Saturday night: a legendary venue large enough for a full-on singalong, but still intimate enough to feel personal.
The evening opened with a set from Ernesto Trombodo, a trombone-playing DJ who quickly won over the early crowd with a loose, energetic performance that leaned into funk, indie rock, and a bit of playful chaos.
Arkells walked onstage to deafening cheers and wasted no time getting things moving. Frontman Max Kerman has built a reputation as one of Canada’s most engaging live performers, and he spent nearly the entire night in motion, dancing across the stage, climbing onto the stage set up, and constantly interacting with fans near the barricade. Even after nearly two decades as a band, Arkells still perform like they’re trying to win over every person in the room for the first time.
The show itself was split into two acts. The first half featured Between Us performed front to back, giving the band space to fully settle into the newer material before launching into a second set packed with fan favourites and older hits. It was a smart format that made the night feel more like an event than a standard tour stop.
Their energy has always been their secret weapon. The songs themselves are straightforward: big hooks, driving rhythms, choruses built for crowds to shout back. Live, though, they hit differently. At the Commodore, tracks like “Boss,” “Leather Jacket,” and “Knocking” became massive communal moments. Nearly every lyric echoed back toward the stage from the sold-out crowd.
The concert was technically in support of the band’s latest album, Between Us, but it never felt like one of those shows where fans politely tolerate the new material while waiting for the hits. Kerman recently explained that smaller and mid-sized venues give new songs space to grow naturally before they move into arenas and festival fields, and that idea made sense watching these tracks unfold live.
The newer material carries a noticeable ‘90s-pop-rock influence, with heavier keyboards and polished grooves that feel a little like vintage Hall & Oates filtered through modern indie rock. Onstage, though, the songs still carried the same punch and warmth Arkells fans expect.
One of the most interesting things about this mini-tour was the stripped-down setup. Arkells often tour with additional musicians and their Northern Soul Horns, particularly for festival appearances, but this run was just the core five members: Kerman, guitarist Mike DeAngelis, bassist Nick Dika, drummer Tim Oxford, and keyboardist Anthony Carone.
The leaner lineup worked in the Commodore’s favour. Without the extra layers, the songs felt more immediate and rough around the edges. There was a looseness to the performance that made the night feel less choreographed and more spontaneous. Kerman joked several times between songs, told stories about the band’s early Vancouver shows, and kept the atmosphere relaxed.
At one point, he reflected on how many stories the Commodore’s walls would be able to tell with the amount of times they played there. The crowd laughed, but it tied perfectly into the spirit of the City Takeovers concept: revisiting the kinds of venues that shaped the band long before arena headlining slots and festival crowds became normal.
That connection between band and audience defined the night. Arkells have never been a cool-from-a-distance type of rock band. Their shows thrive on participation. Fans danced constantly on the Commodore’s famous sprung floor, strangers screamed lyrics together, and phones popped up every few minutes as Kerman (and once accompanied by Ernesto Trombodo) wandered through the crowd during several songs.
By the final stretch of the set, “Leather Jacket” tipped the room into celebration mode. “Leather Jacket.” The night closed with Kerman standing near the side tables of the Commodore with just his guitar, leading the crowd through a massive a cappella singalong.
What made this show stand out wasn’t massive production or elaborate visuals. There were no fireworks, giant video screens, or over-produced transitions. Arkells relied entirely on chemistry, songwriting, crowd connection, and great music.
For a band that now headlines arenas and major festivals across Canada, these smaller “City Takeovers” could have easily felt like a nostalgia exercise. Instead, the Vancouver finale felt fresh and purposeful. Arkells weren’t just revisiting old rooms for sentimental reasons. They were reminding people why they became one of the country’s most reliable live bands in the first place.
And judging by the volume inside the Commodore Ballroom on Saturday night, Vancouver was very happy to welcome them back.
Arkells will be back in Vancouver on July 7 at the new PNE Amphitheatre for the FIFA Fan Festival.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ARKELLS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Goldfinger Keep the Pit Moving and the Shoes Flying in Vancouver
On April 17th, the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver felt like a ska-punk time warp, with California punk legends Goldfinger supporting their new album, Nine Lives.
Sullvn got things rolling with a set that didn’t waste any time. Within minutes, hats were flying into the crowd like it was a merch-based game show, and the vibe quickly turned into organized chaos. They brought to the stage Dicky Barrett, former frontman of Mighty Mighty Bosstones for their hit “Raise a Glass”.
Next up was Broadway Calls, proving once again that a three-piece can absolutely shake a room. Their brand of fast, hooky punk tore through the crowd, with songs like “Call It Off” and “Back to Oregon” landing like instant jolts of energy. By the time they wrapped, the room was fully ready for Goldfinger.
Right away, frontman John Feldmann started doing crowd math. “How many of you are under 20?” A few scattered hands. “Over 40?” A lot more hands. He laughed and proudly stated that to still be doing this 32 years later as the best feeling in the world. This wasn’t a band clinging to nostalgia… but they also weren’t about to ignore it.
From there, it turned into the kind of chaos Goldfinger shows are known for, a non-stop blur of songs, crowd surfers, and, of course, the sacred tradition of shoes flying through the air. Somewhere along the way, footwear stopped being optional and started being part of the performance. Pairs were held up like trophies, launched across the room, or lost to the pit entirely. If you managed to leave with both shoes still accounted for, honestly, that’s a personal victory. The setlist leaned into exactly what people wanted. “Here in Your Bedroom,” “Chasing Amy” “Counting the Days”, all the hits, all loud, all sung back at the band like it was a group project. The floor barely stayed still for more than a few seconds, and the security team definitely got their steps in from the steady stream of crowd surfers.
During “Mable,” they pulled fans up on stage to dance, turning the whole thing into a slightly chaotic, very wholesome party. And then… “Superman.” The reaction was instant. Like, no hesitation, full-body nostalgia. The second it started, it felt like half the room got mentally transported back to playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in their living rooms. Suddenly, everyone knew every word (even the ones they probably didn’t know they knew), and the energy somehow went up another level. It wasn’t just a highlight, it was the moment.
When it wrapped at the Commodore Ballroom, the place was wrecked in the best way – sweaty, shoeless, and buzzing. Still, no one seemed in any hurry to leave.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
GOLDFINGER
BROADWAY CALLS
SULLVN
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle