KING 810, Banks Arcade and Vexed at The Underworld, London 2025

The story of King 810 can be a real movie scenario that a lot of people wouldn’t believe that kind of story really happened. Flint, Michigan natives had it genuinely tough in life – living in a place where a small mistake could cost your life, or you engrossed in a crime gang is not something that is unheard of in that area. But yet, despite hardships, the face of the band David Gunn made through all of this. And he made his story a literal art form.  

When the band was last time in London – their O2 Academy Islington show was combined into a theatre performance and intertwined with their musical, emotional metal songs to support their “follow my tears” – EP from 2023. Seeing that performance was a masterpiece show - the question is: “can they once live to the hype of that night”? “What will we get this time”? With the full anticipation of the unknown, coming to the Underworld – the London home for all underground music things – was inciting pure excitement.  

The evening was opened by Hertfordshire-based band Vexed. For the female-led band whose last release was “Negative Energy” from 2023, this was particularly special. Heavily inspired by the headliners and previously bagged prolific collaborations with artists from bands such as Alpha Wolf or Thy Art is Murder, Vexed is really one of the most interesting deathcore bands on the scene currently. Megan’s screamed voice is easily on par with such icons as Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer or the currently popular Spiritbox’ lead singer – Courtney Laplante. Especially the band’s force and vocalist’s screams come in absolute power during “Anti-Fetish”, they began their set with “Hideous”. An absolute pleasure to experience Vexed in a live setting and to be warmed up before the main acts of the night. 

On the completely other end of the spectrum of alternative music is Banks Arcade. New Zealanders sound mixes metalcore, post hardcore, trap and electronic sample elements in a very tasty way. In contrast to the very fast-paced Vexed, the Kiwi trio is a pleasant catch of breath with emotional additions in vocals by Joshua O’Donnell. Watching them live, you sense a strong inspiration of the Australian scene in a more modern take. Especially their newest single – “Vipers” hits in a good, energetic way.  Another absolute standout was “Change” from “Death 2” EP. Overall speaking, Banks Arcade is really worth catching live during this tour. Incredibly vibrant, lively band that gives you that smile at the end of their set and makes you fulfilled with joy for the rest of ethe vening. Seeing crowds jump and mosh happily to their sound was honestly really pleasant to watch. 

There is no doubt that this set of King 810 was different from their “Never Say Die 2023” tour performance. Starting very strongly with “Rustbelt Nu Metal” – one of the recent singles from the same-titled album- the Underworld crowd went instantly crazy and got into the intensity of Michiganians’ performance. Although this time there was no smoking piano, the stage had a prop of steelwork machinery that was a homage to the band’s roots in the American Rustbelt area. This change in stage production didn’t change the theatrical approach to the performance. Two of the members – the drummer John Paul Vega and the guitarist are still wearing the iconic king masks (the latter is staying anonymous), and vocalist David, as well as bassist Eugene Gill, are still performing impressively, emotionally and flexibly with their respective instruments.  
 

The uninterrupted show flow also has some perks that other tour dates did not have. David took a minute to invite the band’s friend to join them on stage – Anabelle. Grammy member and Veile musician was a wonderful addition to the already great performance. Her incredible vocal abilities made two songs (“Sue’s Song” and “Boogie with the Boogieman”) she joined very special – especially if we take into account, she was combining operatic and regular singing techniques with screams. Unexpected part, but honestly captivating. It was a highly memorable part of this evening, and it would be awesome if the band considered recording a collaborative song with her in the future.  

 
The sixteen-song set went by very fast, but it didn’t feel like there was a weak part of it. The mix of newer songs with older classics like “Hellhounds” or “Vendettas” worked perfectly in sync with each other, making it very smooth and harmonious to listen to and experience. King 810 still delivers a magic with an array of feelings: from anger, grief and despair to passion and dedication to the craft. Undeniably, this was a great night spent with Americans, and the lack of an encore did not make it any less special. This band still has a lot of in-store creativity, and it will be amazing to watch how they progress moving forward.