LIVE FROM THE PIT: Hotline TNT and Jade Hairpins

Coming all the way from New York, HOTLINE TNT are back in the UK to play multiple shows on their headline tour, with their last UK date landing in London! After a few UK shows at iconic venues, they have returned and made their way around the UK to bring their music to as many fans as possible.

The band brings a unique style of alt rock and shoegaze, which has cultivated a particular audience of UK rockers. The four-piece have been releasing music since 2018 and have delved on this tour to celebrate the release of their album Raspberry Moon, which was released earlier this year.

The venue was quiet just minutes before the opening act JADE HAIRPINS made their way onto stage. The Canadian Punk Quartet have been slowly invading the hardcore scene with an almost Brit Punk sound, so it's easy to see why the UK crowd were loving it. The room slowly filled out as they got further into their set, heads bopping and feet tapping all across the room. Being a warm up act especially for a crowd on the other side of the planet must be daunting but these guys rocked it, each member bringing their own flair to the stage.

The bassist added a particular sound with groovy twangy basslines that added a depth to the live music you might not pick up on as much in the recorded studio songs. The two guitarists dueted throughout the set, layering their vocals to add more texture to the live tracks. Lead vocalist JONAH FALCO extended some of his notes into screams that were particularly impressive and an unexpected addition to the set, with fans in the crowd turning to each other and nodding in approval.

As JADE HAIRPINS wrapped up their set, the crowd began to pack in with very few empty spaces remaining, the venue eventually went dark once again and the flashing lights built the suspense as a bassline rang through the room. One by one HOTLINE TNT sauntered onto the stage! Each quickly getting into their spaces as the instrumental built, before starting their opening song The Scene. Their shoegaze riffs bring a nostalgic tone, replicating bands from the 90s and 2000s, putting their own spin on chord progressions that otherwise feel familiar. Throughout their set the band only stopped playing their instruments a handful of times, as they let the songs flow between each other. The gaps instead being filled with a sentence or two were given to a member of the band to fill the silence.

They continued their show with hits like Protocol, I Thought You’d Change, and Where U Been, as the members of the band rocked the stage, all of them headbanging and dancing to match the beat. The crowd replied with their own movement and cheering, not one bored head in the house. As the set went on the crowd got more and more lively, and rather than the traditional mosh pit opening up the fans vibrated off of each other, eventually creating the pit.

Fans that had seemingly never met before connected through the music, singing the words together and throwing their arms around each other. The songs were easy to sing along, and had even those that might not have known them at the beginning of the track, singing along by the end. The band worked hard to see that all the room was entertained and it paid off.

As they reached the last few songs before the encore, they left the stage and the lights went dark, causing the crowd to cheer for an encore. The band came back on and asked which track they should play, it is very rare to see bands actually taking requests, especially on the spot! Song names were shouted from all angles, really showing the fans' knowledge of the band and the demand for more. After denying a couple of fans due to not being quite ready to play the song or not thinking they were the right vibe, they landed on History Channel from their 2023 album Cartwheel.

They took a few moments towards the end of the show to talk to their fans and exclaim how important it was to them that everyone in the room was there on their Tuesday night, when they could have been anywhere else. They went on to play Lawyers in Love and Had 2 Try, before finally closing on Trinity. The band got an immense cheer at the end of their set, taking their time to say their thanks before finally exiting the stage.

HOTLINE TNT have played many UK shows but as they said themselves, this one felt special. There was a real sense of joy in the room that the music elevated leaving everyone in the room on a high. We hope to see HOTLINE TNT return to London again soon to play even bigger venues to draw in even bigger crowds!

Words and photos: Amy Smyth