Words and Photos by Henry Groves
After an incredible year, SPRINTS were bringing it to a close with a UK tour, including their biggest UK headline show to date at O2 Kentish Town Forum. After releasing their debut album ‘Letter to Self’ earlier this year, there was a lot of excitement in the room. I had high expectations for this gig and I was hoping they were going to live up to them.
Sprints’ performance show was nothing short of electrifying. From the moment the band hit the stage, it was clear that this was going to be a night to remember. The Dublin-based four-piece has been making waves with their mix of post-punk, indie rock, and raw, unfiltered energy, and they did not disappoint. Vocalist Karla Chubb commanded the stage, with her powerful, gritty voice cutting through the air like a sledgehammer. There was something magnetic about her stage presence — she exuded confidence and passion, and her interaction with the crowd felt personal, even in the large space of the Forum. Chubb’s delivery was as fiery as the band’s aggressive sound, and it was clear that the audience was hanging on every word.
Tracks like “Modern Job” and “The Cheek” were particularly standout moments, with their infectious hooks and blistering guitar lines. Even in their quieter moments, Sprints never lost their edge. What really set the gig apart, however, was the sheer intensity of the performance. There was no lull, no filler — just one explosive song after another. The band’s energy was contagious, and the crowd responded in kind, moshing, singing along, and getting swept up in the raw power of the music.
What really made the night unforgettable, though, was the sheer intensity of the performance. There was no filler — just one explosive track after another. The energy in the room was palpable, and the crowd matched it every step of the way, moshing, singing along, and feeding off the band’s wild enthusiasm.
A pick for me was ‘How Does the Story Go?’ with its catchy guitar hook and Karla’s ferocious delivery. The set ended with not one but two rounds of confetti during ‘Literary Mind’ and ‘Little Fix’ with the latter featuring Karla joining the crowd for the opening verses before crowd surfing her way back as the confetti came down on her. A few members of the band Adore joined the band on stage for the final song, with their opening support slot for the first leg of the tour halted by illness.
By the time the encore rolled around, the room was electric, and Sprints ended the show on a high with a thundering, cathartic finish. It was a performance that perfectly captured the spirit of their music: unapologetic, bold, and impossible to ignore. I wasn’t sure how SPRINTS ferocious live shows would translate to a venue of the size of Kentish Town Forum but there is no doubt that this was a truly unbelievable show and I can see even bigger things happening for the band in the not so distant future.
