London’s streets got a proper wake-up call this week as The Molotovs teamed up with The Big Issue for a pop-up gig with a difference. The young band, who have been tearing up stages across the country, descended on Soho to support the charity’s ‘Stop, Talk and Support’ Christmas campaign.
The location was spot on – Berwick Street, the very spot made famous by the cover of the Oasis classic (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?. Siblings Matt and Issey Cartlidge (aged 17 and 19 respectively) treated unsuspecting shoppers to a set of tracks from their upcoming debut album, Wasted On Youth. It wasn’t just original material getting the punters moving, though; they threw in a cracking cover of Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody”, sparking a bit of dancing and pogoing on the pavement.
It wasn’t just about making noise, however. The gig was designed to encourage people to engage with The Big Issue vendors. The band were joined by vendors Paul and Terry, who usually work pitches near Oxford Circus and St Paul’s, to highlight a simple but vital message: don’t just walk past. The campaign shines a light on the decline in social interaction, urging the public to actually stop and have a chinwag with the folks selling the magazine.
Matt from the band put it best, noting that while the magazine does amazing work, it’s down to the rest of us to treat vendors as part of the community. “It takes so little time to stop and have a chat with someone but too often we all just walk past with our eyes fixed on our phone or the street ahead,” he said.
If you missed the Soho takeover, don’t panic. The band, who have already clocked up an impressive 600 shows and earned nods from members of the Sex Pistols and Green Day, are gearing up for a massive year. Their debut album Wasted On Youth lands on January 30th via Marshall Records, and they are heading out on a massive run of UK dates to support it.
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You can catch The Molotovs at the following venues in early 2026. Tickets on sale now via the band’s website:
- 06/01 – King Tuts, Glasgow
- 07/01 – Lending Room, Leeds
- 08/01 – Gorilla, Manchester
- 09/01 – Thekla, Bristol
- 11/01 – The Cavern, Exeter
- 13/01 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
- 14/01 – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
- 15/01 – Esquires, Bedford
- 16/01 – Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate
- 21/01 – Hallamshire Hotel, Sheffield
- 22/01 – The Bootleg Social, Blackpool
- 23/01 – The Sugarmill, Stoke
- 24/01 – Monks Waterside, Aylesbury
- 26/01 – The Brook, Southampton
- 27/01 – The Black Prince, Northampton
- 28/01 – The Waterfront Studio, Norwich
- 30/01 – Banquet Records At Kingston College, Kingston
- 31/01 – Resident Music, Shop, Brighton
- 01/02 – Rough Trade, Denmark Street, London
- 02/02 – Sister Ray at 100 Club, London
- 04/02 – HMV, Shop, Cardiff
- 05/02 – Jacaranda Records, Shop, Liverpool
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Header image by Liam Heaton
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