The Airbourne Gutsy Tour rolled into London and blew away the winter cobwebs, injecting a full dose of spring‑loaded chaos into the Victorian‑era Roundhouse. Avalanche and Asomvel were the perfect warm‑up, two bands cut from the same beer‑soaked bar cloth as Airbourne, priming the venue for a night of pure, fist‑pumping rock ‘n’ roll.
Airbourne – Asomvel – Avalanche
Roundhouse, London – 28 February 2026
Words: Rhys Tagg
Photography: Robert Sutton
The heaving, pint‑sloshing, denim‑and‑leather‑clad crowd was packed tight into the Roundhouse, the air buzzing like a live wire underfoot. After Ralph Robinson closed the Asmovel carnage with The Nightmare Ain’t Over, by then the Roundhouse felt like it was bleeding.
And what do we know about Airbourne? If it bleeds, they can rock it, and they hit the Roundhouse like a bar fight in a cyclone.
Airbourne
Airbourne exploded onto the stage like they had been blasted out of a cannon, all sweat, riffs, and unfiltered Aussie mayhem. With pyro and fire erupting during opener Gutsy, there was never any doubt they would kick off the Gutsy Tour with anything else.
They tore headlong into a set built for maximum velocity. A barrage of classics Hungry, Back In The Game and crowd‑killers like Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast and Breakin’ Outta Hell landed with that trademark, lager‑sprayed ferocity.
The riffs felt like they were trying to punch straight through your ribcage. It was Airbourne doing what they do better than anyone in turning a venue into a pressure cooker and daring it to survive the night.
Beer flew through the air, the crowd surged with wild energy, and at one point, even a jumper was being tossed around like a beach ball. Whoever lost it probably went home freezing, but the Roundhouse temperature more than made up for it.
Midway through the set, they unveiled a new track, Alive After Death. Joel O’Keeffe addressed the online chatter, the criticism that Airbourne have played the same set for a decade. But is that not the beauty of Airbourne?
You know exactly what you are signing up for. Joel will dive into the crowd for Raise The Flag and shred from the middle of the chaos. A can will get smashed against his head. Anthems will roar out of one of the largest Marshall amp walls you will ever see, and your ears will ring for days thanks to the grit, the energy, and the sweat‑on‑the‑walls atmosphere.
At the Roundhouse, he pushed it even further. During encore Ready To Rock, he climbed onto the balcony, stopped beside a fan, and delivered a personal, face‑melting solo before handing over a plectrum they will probably frame. Pure reckless Joel charm, Aussie showmanship and total devotion to the crowd.
Airbourne closed with Running Wild, leaving the stage the same way they arrived, full throttle, no brakes, no apologies. The crowd stood there grinning, drenched, breathless, and absolutely wrecked in the best possible way.
Say what you like about the setlist, nights like this prove why it does not need to change. When Airbourne roll through town, you do not come for surprises. You come for the chaos, the carnage, the beer‑in‑the‑air madness, and that unstoppable Aussie spirit.
Walking out into the cool London air, ears ringing and clothes sticking to your skin, you realise the truth. Gigs like this do not just stay with you. They cling to you like sweat long after the lights go out.
Avalanche
Show openers Avalanche, a four‑piece rock ‘n’ roll act from Sydney, hit like a pipe bomb, a blast of youthful fire that snapped the Roundhouse to attention.
A shirtless Steven Campbell and the wild, unstoppable Veronica Campbell channelled their inner Joel O’Keeffe, with Veronica getting down into the pit mid‑set to shred On The Bags Again as the crowd swarmed around her.
Thick riffs and heavy hooks propelled the pub rockers into full‑force, brewery‑sized swagger, turning the Roundhouse into a sweat‑slicked blowout. From opener Blondie to the closing roar of Ride Or Die, they cruised through a set that felt far too short. You could watch Veronica tear through those monster riffs all night.
Asomvel
If Avalanche shook the walls, Asomvel tried to bring them down. With a setlist boasting Born To Rock ‘N’ Roll and If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old, you knew exactly what kind of night you were in for.
The leather‑clad main support tore into King Of The World and never let up, fast ‘n’ dirty, heavy and loud, the kind of rock that rattles your sternum.
Crowd‑pleaser Luck Is For Losers hit like a steel‑toed boot, and somewhere around newer tracks Light’ Em Up and Take You to Hell, a beer‑drenched mosh pit erupted, lager flying everywhere.
