Art of Fighting | Live Review
Relearning too many songs made for a democratic setlist
Art of Fighting | Howler | 27 June 2025
The concept for the show was to give over the setlist to the people. Anyone could vote online for their favourite three tracks and the top 15 most-voted songs would make the setlist played in order from 15 - 1 over two sets. What a great way to give the punters what they want!
It was all-class on arrival at the Howler immediately delivering the cool vibes and impressive architecture leading to the theatre.
The room was a buzz with excitement from a crowd that continued to build in size and energy as we eagerly awaited the main act to come together to play once again.
Daisy Kilbourne with her band The Chains kicked off the evening with gentle folk ballads and plenty of banter to warm up the crowd. To end their set they took on a Radiohead cover of Weird Fishes, which Daisy delivered with incredible vocal work. Anyone willing to attempt and pull off Thom Yorke’s vocal stylings has a pretty special voice. The scene was set nicely for Art of Fighting (AOF) as the rest of the sold out audience shuffled into a packed theatre at Howler.
AOF played a wonderful blend of songs from their catalogue with something for everyone including an instrumental song within the mix. It feels like they have never taken a break from the live scene as they seamlessly delivered an awe inspiring performance. The crowd was mesmorised and lapping up every moment as AOF didn’t miss a beat with such chemistry and camaraderie in their double set performance.
There was a beautiful feeling in the room through a shared experience of nostalgia delivered through the connection of the band members and the much-loved hits delivered with superb quality.
They really are just an incredible bunch of musicians; their ability to blend the quiet and loud with interesting dynamics woven together and so well considered in their composition.
Here are some of my highlights from what was an unforgettable night whilst I continue to hear Reasons Are All I Have Left over and over in my mind.
When AOF walked on stage the crowd went wild - you could feel the collective love in the room for this band and the huge sense of appreciation as they set the stage. The first set kicked off with Something New, the closing track from their debut album Wires, with its beautiful slow build and heartfelt lyrics putting the crowd immediately in a trance. Followed next by a beautifully performed, emotional track from Wires with Skeletons, after which Peggy joking asking if anyone peaked early with their vote and suggestion perhaps people could head home once they’d heard their song. Not a chance, the captivated audience was here to stay!
The band’s humility was very apparent in their crowd interaction. When introducing Sing Song they joked about whether they could pull it off, and didn’t they ever. You could appreciate the song’s complex structure and rhythm showing there’s even more to this band than the more signature slow jams we are accustomed to. The apparent ease and precision in which they delivered this song is a nod to their serious ability, professionalism and diversity of these musicians.
After a short break where the audience mingled in the front bar, the second set kicked in to a hush crowd once again lost in the shared magic of the experience. As Ollie was tuning up before the second song, Your Easy Part, Peggy declared her role in having to ‘be interesting’ in filling the space in these moments and cheekily referred to her favourite guitar pedal being called the ‘Big Muff’ from the band’s repertoire. The humour continued with a false start and Ollie stating that he couldn’t keep going with it not sounding right and alluded to the G’string being the problem. I loved how much genuine fun the band had with one another and with the audience throughout their performance.
Give Me Tonight was the number one song voted by the fans and made for the perfect peak to finish an amazing show. They made it clear there wouldn’t be an encore and closed the night in spectacular fashion as the very satisfied crowd dispersed, buzzing from the experience.
I felt spoiled to have had the chance to be part of such a special night. To witness the live dynamic and be immersed in the subtle and expansive shifts from quiet to loud in person was sublime. The overall sound of this adored band is perfectly balanced with the angelic vocals and rhythm guitar ebbing and flowing from Ollie, the melodic bass lines and backing vocals from Peggy, the grounding drum patterns from Marty and the lifting guitar work and keyboard from Miles.
AOF, you have my vote for another show - in the near future let’s hope!
