Solence – Angels Calling Tour at The Dome, London 2026

I don’t always notice the moment a night tips from ordinary into something I’d carry with me, but this one announced itself early. Standing inside The Dome on May 2nd, I felt it immediately: that low, restless excitement that makes everything else fade into background noise. It wasn’t just about seeing Solence live; it was about stepping into a space where volume replaces overthinking, where feeling takes priority over explanation. Supported by Written By Wolves and Dream State, I didn’t expect how distinctly each band would carve out their own version of it, or how quickly I would stop observing and start participating.

Written By Wolves

Written By Wolves, from New Zealand, took the stage first. Frontman Michael Murphy anchored it all with a vocal performance that was technically sharp but never sterile, with that controlled power where you can feel him choosing when to hold back and when to let a note crack at the edges. That restraint became part of the atmosphere, especially on ‘MISERY’, which carried a tightly wound tension, as if it were deliberately holding something in reserve.

Throughout the set, they flirted with excess without fully committing to it. The electronic elements added a glossy, almost cinematic layer, but they never overshadowed the band’s physical presence. Mid-set, a giant pink bra landed on stage; Murphy laughed and pretended to wear it, briefly cutting through the tension with a playful moment.

I’ve been especially curious about their choice of covers. Their version of ‘Elastic Heart’ (originally by Sia) leaned heavier and less fragile than the original, while ‘End of Beginning’ (by Djo) brought a more dreamy tone. Still, their originals like ‘GODDESS’ and ‘BURN’ felt most convincing, even if their precision sometimes created distance. They were impressive, no question, but I connected most in the moments where that precision loosened, and something more human slipped through.

Dream State

The Welsh band Dream State stepped up next, and the energy shift was immediate. They opened with ‘Bloom’, locking into whatever the crowd was giving them in that moment. Jessie Powell was great to watch here; her voice has that mix of bite and vulnerability, and she leans into both without overthinking it. It never felt overly polished, but that’s exactly the point. The rest of the band matched that energy, with Aled Evans’s guitar work carrying a slightly rough, jagged edge, while the rhythm section kept everything moving without making it feel too tight or controlled.

I actually liked that things weren’t always perfectly smooth: some transitions came off a bit rushed, but it gave the whole set a sense of momentum rather than detracting from it. ‘Chin Up Princess’ could easily tip into sentimentality, yet here it felt grounded, almost confrontational in its sincerity. You could hear more people singing along at that point, but even at their heaviest, they left space in the music, which kept everything engaging.

At one point, they stopped a song right as it was kicking in and randomly played the opening lines of ‘Break Stuff’ by Limp Bizkit. They were clearly messing around, but the crowd loved it. That little moment loosened the room even further before they jumped back into their own material. ‘Still Dreaming’ and ‘Taunt Me’ kept things moving nicely without overloading the room, and then ‘Primrose’ arrived, pulling everything into focus.

It was easily one of the most affecting moments of the night; not because it was bigger or louder, but because it felt more exposed. The guitar swelled slightly off-kilter, and Jessie‘s vocals carried a kind of strain that felt intentional. It wasn’t perfect, but that’s exactly why it worked. By the time they finished, the room felt looser, louder, more connected. It was like they’d cracked something beneath the surface.

Solence

Then Solence arrived. Hailing from Sweden, they don’t build slowly. They don’t test the waters. ‘Angels Calling’ dropped early and decisively, and the reaction was instant. The crowd surged forward, and I felt that familiar jolt of adrenaline, the kind that makes your chest tighten in the best possible way. A lot of what makes them work live is how they play with contrast. Their sound sits in that space between metal and pop, but it never feels like a compromise.

Vocalist Markus Videsäter moved pretty effortlessly between clean, catchy lines and something more intense, while David Strääf on guitar kept things grounded with those heavier riffs. Then you’ve got Johan Swärd on keys, layering in all those electronic elements that give their sound that polished edge. It could easily feel like too much, but they kept it balanced most of the time.

‘Where Were You..?’ and ‘Blackout’ leaned into the heavier side of their sound, all sharp edges and tight, percussive energy, while ‘Death Do Us Part’ and ‘4 Good Reasons’ brought melody to the forefront without losing that underlying tension. The shifts seemed deliberate, like they were constantly adjusting the dial between heavy and melodic.

The set leaned a lot on ANGELS CALLING, but they still threw in some older tracks. ‘Rain Down’ shifted the mood in a way I didn’t expect. The room softened, not completely, but you could actually feel the emotional undercurrent running through their set, and it felt like everyone just took a breath at the same time. After the song, David and Johan went into this extended outro, just guitar and keys playing off each other. It wasn’t flashy; they simply stretched the moment, letting it fade naturally.

‘Best for You’, ‘Heaven’ and ‘Blood Sweat Tears’ transformed everything into a shared moment; less about the band, more about the room as a whole. It was messy in the best way, people shouting lyrics, slightly off-time, completely committed. And I was right there with them. That said, it wasn’t perfect. Sometimes the production side felt a little too dominant, with electronic layers smoothing things out more than needed. Live, I’d like a bit more roughness and unpredictability. A few moments felt almost too clean, like everything had been planned a little too carefully.

But by the time ‘Animal In Me’ came on, none of that really mattered; the crowd was fully locked in. It was one of their strongest moments: sharp, immediate, impossible to ignore. And closing with ‘Who You Gonna Call?’ was a smart move, ending on something fun and energetic instead of going all-out intense. It worked, and it sent people out buzzing rather than drained.

What I keep circling back to is how physically engaging their set was. Everyone around me was moving, shouting lyrics they barely knew, completely caught up in it. And that, I think, is where Solence succeed most. They’re not trying to reinvent anything, but they take familiar elements like metal riffs, pop structures, and electronic flourishes, and push them just far enough to feel fresh without losing their core identity.

Long after the last note fades, I realised that what stayed with me isn’t just a specific song or moment, but the contrasts. The control of Written By Wolves against the instinct of Dream State. The polish of Solence against the flashes of rawness that break through it. And honestly, that’s all I really want from a show like this. Not perfection. Not innovation for its own sake. Just that pull in my chest, that instinct to move, that sense of being completely present in something loud, messy, and real.