Downcast – Live at New Cross Inn 25th August 2026

The New Cross Inn has become one of London’s most important grassroots alternative venues, giving a stage to rising emo, pop punk, and hardcore bands alongside established touring acts. It was the perfect setting for the first night of Downcast’s Summer UK Tour, with Stay Safe and Poland’s CF98 joining them for a packed evening of emotional, high-energy alternative music. The room wasn’t huge, but that only made everything feel louder and more intimate.

STAY SAFE

Opening the night was Stay Safe, a UK pop punk band whose sound sits somewhere between classic early 2000s pop punk and modern emo. They have a similar vibe to Broadside but with a more punk pop edge. Their songs are packed with catchy hooks, heartfelt lyrics, and enough energy to get a room moving within minutes.

From the first song, they had people nodding along and singing back the choruses. They brought a fun, upbeat atmosphere without losing the emotional edge that runs through their music. For an opening band, they did exactly what you want them to do. They warmed the crowd up, played some covers, and got the crowd engaged.

You can follow Stay Safe here:

CF98

Next up were CF98, the melodic punk band from Poland joining Downcast on the UK tour. They have built a strong reputation across Europe through relentless touring and festival appearances, and it showed the second they stepped on stage. This is a band with incredible stage presence and knows how to get the crowd engaged and moving.

Their set mixed fast-paced skate punk with melodic hardcore and pop punk influences. Every song felt tight, energetic and full of confidence, while vocalist Karolina delivered powerful vocals that cut through the room effortlessly.

The crowd’s energy noticeably stepped up during their set, with the first proper pit of the evening opening up near the front. They were one of those bands that feels made for a sweaty venue like New Cross Inn, where every chorus is shouted back from only a few feet away.

You can follow CM98 here:

DOWNCAST

By the time Downcast took the stage, New Cross Inn was packed and the crowd was more than ready. London was the first stop of their Summer UK Tour, and you could feel the excitement in the room before they even walked out. As soon as the lights went down, the front of the crowd edged forward, and the energy stayed high for the rest of the set.

Downcast have built a name for themselves through relentless touring and a growing presence in the UK emo and alternative scene. Their music blends emotional lyrics with heavy guitars, big choruses, and post-hardcore influences, and those songs hit just as well live as they do on record.

Their set was full of energy from start to finish. Fans sang along to almost every song, circle pits opened up during the heavier tracks, and there was barely a quiet moment on the floor. The band looked completely at home on stage, feeding off the crowd’s reactions and giving everything to each performance.

Between songs, they took time to thank everyone for coming out and spoke about how much it meant to kick off the tour in London. Those little moments made the show feel personal and reminded everyone why grassroots gigs are so special.

The vocals were strong throughout the night, carrying all the emotion of the songs without losing any power. The guitars sounded huge in the small venue, while the rhythm section kept the whole set driving forward.

The closing songs brought one final burst of energy. The crowd shouted every word back, people were still moving until the very end, and Downcast left the stage to a huge round of applause. It was a brilliant headline set and a great start to what looks set to be a strong UK tour.

You can follow downcast here:

GALLERY