The evolution of Kadavar has never been about reinvention for reinvention’s sake. Since crashing onto the scene in 2010, the Berlin quartet have carved their name deep into the modern rock landscape with a sound that began as a gritty homage to ’70s psychedelia but has since grown into something far more dynamic, bold and genre-defying.
Kadavar
Rough Trade East, London – 13 May 2025
Words And Photography: Ash Nash
Their story started, fittingly, in Berlin’s creative underbelly, a land of creativity and craftsmanship. A fantastic friendship between frontman Lupus Lindemann and drummer Christoph ‘Tiger’ Bartelt first collided over a shared obsession with heavy, hypnotic sounds.
That fateful meeting didn’t just form a band. It sparked a movement. As Kadavar, they quickly pushed beyond their local scene with an unrelenting commitment to touring, experimenting and shapeshifting—always staying grounded in the heartbeat of their sonic DNA.
That same small venue and special adventurous spirit was alive and crackling tonight at Rough Trade East, where Kadavar delivered an electrifying, sweat-drenched set which felt more like a séance than a gig.
The iconic record shop tucked down Brick Lane is no stranger to intimate performances, but this was something else entirely. With no stage theatrics, no smoke and mirrors—just walls of vinyl, exposed piping, and a crowd packed tight—it was the kind of space where every note matters and every glance between band members tells a story.
Just days before the release of their eighth studio album, I Just Want To Be A Sound, this was not a warm-up show. It was a full-throttle celebration, an up-close-and-personal dive into Kadavar’s latest sonic incarnation.
They opened with the gritty, blues-drenched swagger of Scar On My Guitar, before tearing into the fan-favourite Come Back Life like a band already in full stride. The energy in the room surged as bodies swayed, heads nodded, and the connection between band and crowd sparked instantly.
When they unveiled the title track—performed live for the very first time—the room felt like it paused to inhale. A sprawling, genre-bending odyssey with a thunderous bassline and soaring melodies, I Just Want To Be A Sound is not just a new song. It is a manifesto for where Kadavar are headed. Exploratory but tight, fluid yet fully formed, the track was a high point in a night packed with them.
Now performing as a cohesive four-piece, with Jascha Kreft on guitar and Simon ‘Dragon’ Bouteloup on bass, Kadavar have never sounded more locked in. This is not a band riding on nostalgia or resting on their back catalogue—they are a living, breathing force of instinct and chemistry. No ego, no posturing—just four musicians completely tuned into one another and the room around them.
The setlist was a beautifully unfiltered dive into their discography. Hysteria and Last Living Dinosaur crashed through the speakers with roaring approval from the crowd, while Regeneration pulsed with fresh intent. Let Me Be A Shadow slowed the tempo, letting atmosphere take the lead, and Truth stripped everything down to its emotional core—a raw, vulnerable moment that clung to the air like smoke.
Die Baby Die snapped the room back into motion with a forceful snarling energy and wild-eyed groove. But the true magic unfolded Purple Sage and Strange Thoughts, where the band let loose, surrendering to the moment with a swirling, psych-drenched jam that felt as spontaneous as it was spellbinding.
Finally, they closed with Until The End, a thunderous slow-burner that left the crowd breathless, beaming and utterly satisfied.
More than a set, this was a reminder of what live music can be when stripped of spectacle and fuelled by sincerity. Kadavar might belong on festival main stages [and they have earned that space].
But within the exposed-brick intimacy of Rough Trade East, they proved something more vital: that raw connection, unfiltered energy and honest musicianship can outshine any pyrotechnics.
On this night, Kadavar did not just perform. They transformed the room. They reminded every person pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in that crowd why we still chase live music: for those rare moments where sound becomes something physical, something shared, something unforgettable.
As they continue to evolve and push the boundaries of their sound, one truth remains: Kadavar are a band in constant motion. Wherever they go next, it is going to be loud, fearless, and entirely their own.
