The last night of the SPEED UK tour went off in Camden Town at the Electric Ballroom, and yeah, it got wild. I did not really know what to expect from a proper Hardcore show, but what I saw with SPEED was not just punches and chaos in the pit. It felt like something bigger, raw, messy, but also kind of special.
SPEED – Whispers
Electric Ballroom, Camden – 22 April 2026
Words: Carol Giannattasio
Photography: Antonio Giannattasio
Did anyone actually warn the security at the barricades before the show?
Judging by their faces halfway through the set, it did not look like they had any idea what was coming. Still, respect to them, as they handled the madness all night.
SPEED kicked things off with AIN’T MY GAME from their latest EP, and straight away, the pit felt like another world, with sweat, movement, and no stopping. From there, it never really slowed down.
The band not just stand out because of their stage presence, though, as they were everywhere, moving nonstop, tight and locked in. What really hit was the feeling behind it all. You could hear the passion in every word from the singer, Jem Siow, whether he was shouting lyrics or just talking to the crowd.
There was a Palestinian flag on stage, hard to miss, and Jem took a moment to talk about inclusion and thank everyone for being there.
It actually meant something. It showed why Hardcore still matters and that it’s not dead. With bands like Whispers coming all the way from Thailand, where Hardcore does not get much attention, it made that even clearer.
SPEED mixed new tracks across their setlist, such as PEACE and ALL MY ANGELS, with older ones like REAL LIFE LOVE and KILL CAP, and every single one pushed the pit harder.
It built up step by step, from two-stepping and moshing, to a huge circle pit, to full chaos.
There were also moments where everything just went off script, Jem swapping with bassist Aaron Siow on vocals and guest appearances from singers from the opening bands jumping in for a few lines. For the last night, SPEED went all in.
At one point, Jem told everyone to make the whole place shake. And honestly, it felt like the barricades did not even exist anymore. He literally said, “There are no barricades here.”
That’s when it really went crazy. Bodies flying from the stage into the crowd, the crew hyping people up to get involved. Crowd surfing turned into people climbing on stage just to throw themselves back into the pit again.
Then somehow, in the middle of all that chaos, a transverse flute showed up on stage. Yeah, really.
SPEED closed with THE FIRST TEST, and Jem just went for it on the transverse flute, joined by the whole crew and members from other bands playing a normal flute. People in the crowd were trying to follow along with whatever they had.
It was weird, chaotic and honestly one of the best moments of the night, though it is hard to even pick a highlight because the whole show just worked.
SPEED is something you have to experience raw. Even with barricades there, they did not really stop anything, maybe just gave security a second to breathe. People still made their way on stage, still jumped straight back into the pit.
This is the kind of show you do not just see once. The energy, the honesty, the way they connect with the crowd, it hits hard, both emotional and aggressive at the same time.
Whispers
Whispers are one of those bands that either hit you hard or leave you standing there asking what just happened? We are talking about Whispers, a band from Thailand that are starting to make serious noise in the Hardcore scene, not just in Asia but beyond.
Opening for Speed was not just a warm-up slot, as it felt more like a warning shot. Their sound is rough and intense, mixing modern Hardcore with beatdown touches and a tight, almost suffocating tension.
The guitars hit you straight on, sharp and heavy, while the rhythm section keeps pushing forward the whole time, never letting you relax, not even for a second.
On stage, Whispers have something a lot of bands want, but not many actually have, in a real presence. It is not just about energy, as it is also about controlling the chaos.
The frontman ‘Mike’ leads the set like it is some kind of shared ritual, pulling the crowd in with a raw intensity. It feels like the best parts of modern Hardcore, but angrier and less polished or Bangkok Evilcore, as they describe themselves.
Whispers turned their set into a short, brutal experience that did exactly what it needed to do and left the crowd soaked in sweat and ready for more.
