AltBlkEra headline the o2 academy Islington – 21st May 2026

There was a very different atmosphere around O2 Academy Islington before ALT BLK ERA even came on stage. The crowd alone told part of the story. Kids stood next to older alternative fans, parents mixed in with teenagers, and everyone seemed equally invested in what was about to happen. It didn’t feel like one specific scene or age group had claimed the room. It felt open, which suits ALT BLK ERA perfectly.

ALT BLK ERA is one of the more interesting alternative acts to come out of the UK in recent years. Fronted by sisters Nyrobi and Chaya Beckett-Messam, the duo have built a strong following by refusing to stay inside one genre for too long. Their music pulls from metal, punk, electronic music, grime, hyperpop, and alternative rock all at once, but it never feels like they’re throwing styles together just for the sake of it. There’s a clear identity underneath everything they do.

A lot of that comes from their approach as writers and performers. Their songs often focus on identity, mental health, neurodiversity and growing up feeling outside of traditional spaces, especially within alternative music scenes that haven’t always felt particularly inclusive. Rather than softening those experiences, they lean directly into them, which gives the music a very personal edge even when the songs are loud and chaotic.

That honesty has helped them build momentum quickly. Over the last few years they’ve gained attention through festival appearances, radio support, and growing online buzz, while also standing out because there genuinely aren’t many bands doing exactly what they do. They’ve supported bigger alternative acts, appeared on major UK festival lineups, and steadily built a reputation as a very strong live band.

From the opening of “Our World,” the room felt fully awake. The energy was there straight away, but more than anything, it just felt like a crowd that genuinely wanted to be there. People were reacting to everything from the start rather than waiting for bigger songs or moments later in the set.

Early on, ALT BLK ERA left the stage entirely and made their way through the audience during a song before eventually heading back up. In a venue, the size of Islington Academy, where everything already feels quite close, it worked really naturally and got a huge reaction from the people around them.

The setlist moved quickly between moods and styles without losing momentum. “My Drummer’s Girlfriend,” “Silhouettes In The Mirror” and “Run Rabbit” all brought different energy, but it still felt connected the whole way through. Some songs leaned heavier, others more electronic or melodic, but none of it felt forced together.

What stood out just as much was the crowd itself. There were younger fans at the front singing every word, families stood together further back, and older alternative fans spread across the room too. It felt like one of those gigs where everybody had found their own reason to connect with the band, and that gave the whole night a really good atmosphere.

Tracks like “Come Fight Me For It,” “Lost In The Back Of My Mind” and “Straight To Heart” especially got strong reactions, and by the second half of the set the room felt completely settled into it. Even between songs, the band came across naturally on stage. Nothing overly rehearsed, just genuine interactions with the crowd that fit the mood of the night.

By the time “Okay (Cyber Racing),” “Hunt You Down” and “I’m Normally Like This” came around, the energy in the room still hadn’t dropped. Closing with the extended version of “Tissues” felt like the right ending too. It gave the crowd one last big moment together before the night wrapped up.

More than anything, the set just felt genuine. Loud, fun, emotional in places, and completely comfortable being itself from start to finish.