The Warning have been keeping pretty busy as of late, these past couple of months seeing the Villarreal sisters from Monterrey, Mexico embarking on their first ever European tour. This saw them supporting the likes of Muse and Royal Blood, play festival slots, as well as playing their own headlining shows – this leg of the tour concluding with an evening at O2 Academy Islington in London. Having caught the trio’s set at Download Festival, I already knew to expect great things. However, whilst they won a lot of favour from the crowd (and no doubt gained a legion of new fans), a mere 25 minutes on stage simply wasn’t enough to show The Warning’s full capabilities. Needless to say, that would be unlocked on this occasion, and I don’t think I was quite prepared for what was about to transpire…

Prior to this show, The Warning were set to play the smaller room at O2 Academy Islington, being at 300 capacity. Due to overwhelming demand they were swiftly upgraded to the main room of the venue, increasing that number to 800. They easily managed to sell this out too. Whilst having the smaller show sure would’ve been quite the experience, I’m actually happier the band gained the traction they did and played to a larger audience. They’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point and they more than deserve absolutely everything positive that comes their way in their career.

Dead Pony were fantastic, energetic support!

Although prior to their appearance was support in the form of Dead Pony, who had travelled from Glasgow for this event. I’d not listened to them before this show, so this acted as an introduction. As far as first impressions go they did a really damn good job and I thoroughly enjoyed their set! The grungy tones within the raw nature of their music was crunchy, and hints of electronic elements gave an intriguing, experimental touch. This was particularly evident in the performance of their most recent single “MK Nothing”, a high octane number that was enough to get the adrenaline pumping. In fact, the same could be said about the entirety of the set, where their lively and enthusiastic presence shone through, as the grove resonated with the crowd brilliantly. This infectious energy was projected even more via frontwoman Anna Shields, who bounded around stage like a ball of energy. I have to say Dead Pony’s much heavier rendition of Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater” was something I didn’t even realise I needed in my life, whilst “Bullet Farm” cooked up a storm. For the latter Shields got the crowd to get down on the floor and jump up when the breakdown kicked in (Slipknot style.) The fact that the majority of the venue joined in on this mayhem says everything about how well they were received! I’ll be keeping my eyes on them for sure.

The queens taking to the stage!

A little while later and it was finally time for The Warning to take to the stage. The ethereal, otherworldly tones of “Intro 404” echoed throughout the room as the band made their grand entrance, before exploding into the mighty “Disciple”. It was at this point the room erupted into jubilance as the trio delivered a thunderous performance of the highest calibre. Both this and “Z” were familiar territory for me, as I’d already witnessed these songs at Download, but being in a fully packed venue of a more intimate setting increased the intensity and impact tenfold. Meanwhile “Animosity” brought a high-octane thrill ride, whilst “Queen of the Murder Scene” packed a massive punch, the tremendous hooks making the room reverberate in response. As if this didn’t display the diversity of the group’s musical prowess enough, they did so to a greater degree thanks to the emotional tones of “Choke” and “Amour”. Even at this early stage they were covering an impressive spectrum.

Their presence was equally as impressive. As soon as they stepped foot in front of the crowd it was all eyes on the three of them, their charismatic and captivating performance drawing the audience into every second. They addressed the venue with genuine enthusiasm and each of the Villarreal sisters had their moment to shine. Whether it was Dany’s shredding guitar solos, Pau’s immense, booming drumbeats or Ale’s addicting, funky basslines, there was always an epic moment. All their vocals were top-tier too, their powerful leads absolutely bringing the house down alongside the pitch-perfect instrumentation. Whilst the lighting was decent, it wasn’t a focal point, nor were there any theatrics – besides the trio’s enthralling performance – because they didn’t need it. The music spoke for itself and was the most powerful weapon in their arsenal. Seeing the entire crowd constantly join in by clapping and chanting without the band needing to chime in spoke volumes as to how magnificent they truly were.

Dany with her shiny new guitar from Muse’s Matt Bellamy

Another highlight (although the entire show was honestly the highlight) included “Dull Knives (Cut Better)”, where Dany broke out her brand-new bright yellow Manson guitar, gifted to her by Muse’s Matt Bellamy the previous day. Needless to say this track sounded superb live, the nimble tempo keeping the room on their feet. “More” and “Money” were tunes that delivered colossal stadium rock levels of grandeur, the entire venue almost bursting under the electrifying tones. As for “Survive” – the only track to be played from their debut LP XXI Century Blood – I would’ve initially never picked it to be on a setlist. I was very wrong, because this was an inspired choice which saw each sister take the spotlight. From Dany and Pau taking it in turns on lead vocals to Ale’s groovy bass outro, this was a showcase of their might. Let’s not forget the breakdown section too, because it was a storming segment that reached soaring heights, the venue enraptured in the intoxicating atmosphere. Top all this off with audience participation in the form of chanting, and it feels like this was a track made to be played live. I hope it remains on The Warning’s setlists for a long time to come.

Speaking of which, the set wouldn’t have been complete without their rendition of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”. The cover that made The Warning go viral all those years ago, it was extremely fitting that the thrash metal titans invited them to cover it for their Metallica Blacklist Album. Alessia Cara wasn’t here to reprise her vocal role, but The Warning more than picked up the slack. The song was stunning and dramatic enough in its studio version, but live it was something else, becoming utterly breath-taking. As the show drew to a close it went español, seeing the band perform two songs in their native tongue. The first of these was “Narcisista”, with Pau taking the reins on vocals and making jaws drop by not missing a beat in the process. She honestly made it look so effortless! Then there was the impassioned performance of “Martirio”, coming across incredibly majestically and being a beautiful moment to experience. Naturally the roaring “Evolve” saw the evening out proper for the encore, the ferocity of the tune sending the venue wild one last time in sublime fashion.

I honestly feel its impossible to put how good this show was into words, because The Warning were sensational! Studio renditions of their tracks are amazing on their own merits and they’d been superb at Download, but somehow they managed to be even greater still. It was a stunning showcase of musical prowess where the trio gave everything they had, and then some! Their electrifying presence and musicianship resonated into an atmosphere that was was truly out of this world, reaching soaring highs of indescribable euphoria. This was a performance to rival their peers and in many cases even surpass them. I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this impressed by raw skill and talent. It may have only been a room of 800 people, but they put on a show as if they were playing to a venue of 80,000.

Such statements might sound massively hyperbolic, but I can safely say this gig sits comfortably within my top 10 favourites of all-time. Considering I’ve been attending live shows for almost 20 years, that accolade is no small feat. Just when I think The Warning have reached their peak, they find new ways in which to awe me. The thing is, they’re still so young, yet show a craft that proves they’re mature beyond their years. This show at London’s Islington Academy was something truly special and I do feel I was participating in a moment that will go down in the history books. I honestly believe The Warning are the future of rock, and this outing solidifies that. In fact, we’re already staring to see the proverbial passing of the torch with big name artists inviting them to open shows and appear as guests on albums. They’ve been a band for a decade already, and I can’t even begin to imagine how mind-blowingly incredible they’ll become as they continue to grow. All I know is they’ll be carrying the torch into the next generation.