Kicking off their UK headline tour for their eagerly awaited fresh album ‘21st Century Fiction’, The Amazons brought a storm of sound and emotion to Electric Bristol, a venue that pulsed with anticipation before a single note was played. 

The band were on fire, delivering a set that was equal parts cathartic and of cinematic spectacle. 

But first, a shoutout to Overpass, the Birmingham indie-rock band that didn’t just open the night; they lit the fuse. They kicked off with ‘Slow’, setting the tone with jangly guitars and a confident swagger that felt somewhere between early Catfish and the Bottlemen and a stripped-back Circa Waves. There’s something charmingly raw about Overpass, like they’ve bottled the energy of a sweaty pub gig and poured it onto a bigger stage. Infectious, tight, and clearly loving every minute, they were a brilliant choice of support. You could feel the crowd warming up with them, heads nodding and feet tapping before the main event. 

Then came The Amazons. Right on time, no fuss - just straight into ‘Joe Bought A Gun’, which couldn’t have been more fitting for the atmospheric setup. Red lights bathed the stage, shadows strobed across the band, and then boom, white strobes lit up the room as the crowd erupted. From the first guitar string, they were locked in. Every member in sync, every beat landing with precision. The lyrics hit hard: “You’re not the boy I knew from before / Waiting for the wolves at the door / I can’t reach you anymore…”, a haunting reflection that matched the tension in the room. As frontman Matt sang “Sooner or later, it’s all gonna come undone / Sooner or later, you’re gonna pull out that gun,” the crowd leaned in, mesmerised. 

It was a powerful opener that set the tone for the night. The audience was hooked. Eyes glued to the stage, bodies moving in rhythm, hands raised without hesitation. It was one of those rare opening songs where the connection between band and crowd felt electric (no pun intended).

And what a crowd it was. A real mix: office workers still in smart shoes and shirts, everyday music fans repping a patchwork of indie band merch, and hardcore Amazons devotees dripped head to toe in the band’s gear. It felt like a cross-section of the UK’s indie scene had converged in one room, united by a shared love of live music.

The Amazons introduced several tracks from their new album, weaving in ‘Love Is A Dog From Hell’, ‘(Panic)’, ‘Pitch Black’, ‘(Shake Me Down)’, and ‘My Blood’. Each song landed with weight, but ‘Night After Night’ stood out as a crowd favourite, its echoing chorus bouncing off the walls like a shared heartbeat. Vocalist Ella McRobb and Matt’s combined vocals were captivating, layered, emotional, and perfectly matched in tone. Their harmonies added a haunting depth that lingered long after the final note, drawing the crowd into a collective trance.

Midway through, Matt opened up about his journey with depression and anxiety. His openness was met with quiet respect, and when he said, “from existential crisis to country song” before launching into ‘Love Is A Dog From Hell’, it felt like a collective exhale. It was a warm, grounding moment that added to the sense of visible camaraderie and support on and off the stage.

They closed the night with ‘Black Magic’, a track from their new album that felt like a sonic spell, guitar-heavy, chaotic in the best way, pulsing with raw energy. It was the perfect finale: loud, hypnotic, and unrelenting, just like the feeling (or hypnosis) of black magic itself. The crowd didn’t just hear it; they felt it. A final surge of sound that left everyone buzzing as the lights dimmed and the spell broke.

Electric Bristol itself deserves a nod. It’s a venue clearly built with indie bands in mind. Lending photographers reign of the balcony towards the end of the show, capturing the night from above without disrupting the crowd. A night filled with artistic vision, for performers, moshers, photographers, and deep thinkers alike. A venue fit for all.