THORNHILL + THE BOY SHADOW + EVILLE @ CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 22ND JUNE 2026
Thornhill arrived at Brighton’s Concorde 2 on one of the hottest nights of the year, joined by Eville and The Boy Shadow for an evening of sweat, movement, breakdowns and melodic intensity.
Eville
By the time Eville hit the Concorde 2 stage, the crowd are already buzzing with excitement. It’s an extremely hot evening, but the band promise us that, with their intensity, they are going to get us even sweatier and properly warmed up for tonight’s proceedings.
Frontwoman Eva flies onto the stage, complete with striking pink hair, for the first song of the evening, BR4T BBL. The song is high energy from the off and immediately gets the audience moving. The sound in Concorde 2 works well for them too, making them sound absolutely huge.
Eville are a band currently on the rise, and it seems obvious why. They look like they are having so much fun. Since their inception, they have grown massively from the shy kids I knew into a confident unit. It isn’t obvious from the stage itself, but later I learn that they were having some technical issues, particularly drummer Milo. To their credit, they make it look like they are having no issues at all.
The band brand themselves as “brat metal”, combining elements of nu metal, harsh vocals, melody and a bratty attitude. Alongside their pink drumkit, which apparently Milo takes great pleasure in later lending to the other bands, that attitude is evident in songs like Accidents Happen, a track which puts Eva firmly at the forefront as she declares: “you’re fucking with the wrong bitch.”
Bikini Top is one of the highlights of the set, with Eva swaggering and dancing around the stage. It also feels very apt on a day as hot as this to play a song with the line “I’m so hot in my bikini top”. It’s one of those songs you just can’t help but dance and headbang to.
Leech is the oldest song in the set. On release, it was one of the band’s first forays into the more electronic side of their music, but here it has transformed into a confident, self-assured banger that fits perfectly alongside the rest of the set.
BLOW UP! has a singalong section, which bassist Jude introduces by telling us they are “going to play another song, believe it or not”. There is some back and forth with the crowd heckling them at this point, none of which Jude is actually able to hear, so instead they simply get on and play the song.
The crowd do well keeping up with the singalong section, which prompts calls for mosh pits and circle pits, both of which the audience happily oblige. A particularly funny moment comes when Jude calls into the middle of the pit, telling one member of the crowd: “you with the fucking drink, move!”
The last song of the evening is Fetch, a track that starts with dogs barking and is essentially about setting dogs on someone who is “grim / a bag of shit”. This song sees Eva and Jude performing without instruments, trading screams and vocals, backed only by Milo’s strong drumming. They use this freedom to get a pit going before leaping into it themselves, running around while Eva somehow still manages to keep singing.
The Eville set is, in all, the sound of a band liberated, at the height of their powers and having so much fun that you can’t help but have fun too.
WORDS: ELOISE LANE
The Boy Shadow
The Boy Shadow are the second act of the night, consisting of three singers and one drummer. Former Loathe guitarist Conner Sweeney’s band come onto the stage with an energetic swing, dressed to impress. Two of the singers are fully submerged in jackets, masks and gloves, dressed for winter, so I have no idea how they don’t pass out.
They are a new band, having released their debut single only in March this year, but their sound already has a strong identity. They flow with a blend of breakdowns throughout their songs, giving everything a gritty and grimy feel.
Playing their newest song, Innocent Instinct, the energy flows between all members, layering together into a complex mix of heavy guitar riffs, slamming drums and harsh vocals. It feels like a monster ripping you apart. There is so much rage and direction behind it. Each time it switches into a new part or moves towards something more melodic, the direction stays the same, and it works. It feels disgustingly good when it wants to be that murky, distorted metal song you want to break something to, while also being able to stop completely and leave you in awe of some truly heavy, light vocals.
Songs like Give Me A Seam & I’ll Show You The Meaning chuck you straight into heavy, fast kick drums and that gritty riff I mentioned before. In this song, you really feel the stop-start method, with everything going from zero to one hundred in an instant. All the songs feel intense, but you feel it even more here, with how jam-packed the track is. Layers of drowning drums and rapid-fire guitar make this one of the heavier songs on the setlist, especially for those more inclined towards the brutal side of things.
Bliss is unique compared to the rest of the set. Most of the song doesn’t sit inside a metal breakdown. Instead, there is a nice drum and bass beat underneath, with clean vocals running throughout. It gives you a chance to really hear how smooth the vocalist’s voice is, sitting alongside complex drums and a soft whirr of guitar. It’s really nice to have that, before the song leads near the end into one heavy drop, rough and tough, then straight back into that smooth blend of vocals and guitar. It reminds me a bit of what might happen if Joji’s Nectar album had a metal song, and I wish they would tap into this more when creating new music.
There is a lot to take in while they perform, with a careful balance of three singers all screaming on the same stage, creating a blend of insane vocals. They also have an atmospheric edge to their sound, and you can feel some overlap with certain Thornhill songs, particularly something like Revolver.
Overall, the performance is a new one for me, as I have never seen a band with just a drummer and three singers on stage before. By the end, I am left impressed and looking for more.
Thornhill
In the scorching heat of Concorde 2, Thornhill arrive.
Kicking off strong with TONGUES, the guitar riff instantly sends a wave through the room and the crowd begins moving straight away. The tone is set immediately. Tonight is going to be about movement and energy, despite the heat. This song screams you into the night and gets you ready for what is about to begin. Combined with aggressive vocals and a pissed-off guitar tone, it opens the set perfectly.
The vocals throughout the set feel almost exactly like the album, with how pure they are. The screams are amazing, vibrating off the walls, especially during songs like Obsession, where you can feel that blend of melodic and screamed vocals, with sounds that sit somewhere around Deftones and Loathe. The bass absolutely vibrates through the entire set, drowning you while keeping the flow steady and rhythmic, almost like an extra kick drum.
Lily & The Moon is played, which isn’t on their album Bodies, but is still an amazing track and one I am glad to hear. For the build-up, singer Jacob Charlton asks the audience: “where are my dogs at?”, which results in barking from the entire venue. The song is a tribute to Jacob’s dog, and it is a personal favourite of mine. It has an insane drum introduction, like a machine gun, combined with a dancing guitar riff that feels like a battle cry. It is an absolute must-listen and is insane to see live, especially watching the drummer keep rhythm with such an intense jackhammer of a song.
Saving the best until last, Nerv begins. As soon as the riff hits, everyone in the room starts shouting, and suddenly everyone forgets they have been standing in an oven for the last hour. Chaos begins. The energy is amazing for the final song, and you can really feel the enjoyment of the band when they perform on stage. They clearly adore their fans and know exactly how to energise them and give them what they came for.
Overall, Thornhill bring an amazing performance to Concorde 2. They play all the songs that make you go “fuck yeah”, and you leave feeling like you have experienced the melodic clashes of each track. This is an energetic, fast-paced metal band and a must-see for anyone interested in an evolving metal scene that combines heaviness, atmosphere and a rollercoaster ride of songs.
WORDS: MAX PRESTON-HOOD
