Live Review: Archers with Tropic Gold at Downstairs at the Dome, London (16/04/26)

I love shows like this. Shows that make you feel like you’re part of something special, shows that deliver unforgettable moments, and shows that empathically prove that the future of alternative music is in safe hands. Whose hands? Archers’ hands.

The alternative metal/metalcore group spent three days in the UK, playing Glasgow, Manchester, and London, and brought the alternative rock and pop band, Tropic Gold with them.

It’s a two-band bill in London, and while the venue (Downstairs at the Dome) isn’t full by any stretch, a sizeable crowd has gathered to see Tropic Gold, who don’t have the best night, unfortunately. Their 30-minute setlist ends up only being around 20-odd minutes due to sound problems that delay their start, stop the show midway, and end things abruptly. Credit to the band though, they throw plenty of energy into their show and have the anthems to get a decent chunk of the crowd moving.

No such issues for Archers though, arriving on stage to a packed room of adoring fans, and delivering a powerful showing of modern emotive metal. The kind that has people dancing, singing along, and pitting. Hell, at one stage, Archers are even able to get a decent wall of death going. For all their potent melodies and dramatic sensations, they also know how to go hard.

I’m a fan, but not nowhere as big a fan as many others in this room. It’s staggering to see just how Archers connect to people and how the energy shown on stage is reflected in the crowd watching. Archers’ fans aren’t just listening to the music, they’re living the music, and a show like this creates an intense connection.

They’re an impressive band, with strong stage presence, a ton of banging tracks (Made for Love, Say This Sober, Perfect Strangers, and Blanket Fort are just some of the highlights), and come across down to earth and relatable.

They play for an hour (roughly) and I’m pretty sure that had they just carried on, nobody in the venue would have cared. I certainly found myself unaware of time, so when they announced that it was time to wrap things up, I felt a bit short-changed, until I saw the time. It had simply flown by in a blur of heart-pounding, soul-wrenching, foot-tapping, and head-banging noise.

Archers hypnotised many, me included, and left a very powerful impression. Hopefully it won’t be too long until they’re back again.