Hot Milk Shake the Iconic Camden Roundhouse with a High-Voltage Spectacle [Photos]

Hot Milk delivered a night of pure electricity at London’s Roundhouse on November 19th, transforming the iconic venue into a pulsating, adrenaline-fuelled celebration of modern punk energy. From the moment the house lights dropped bang on 9:20, anticipation surged through the packed room. Flashing lights cut into the darkness, stoplights swept across the venue like searchlights, and a siren blared as the band exploded onto the stage. Without hesitation, they launched into “Hell Is On Its Way”, the strobe lights illuminating the back of the stage and rendering Han Mee and the band in striking silhouette. It was a minimal visual setup, yet undeniably effective, immediately locking the crowd into the intensity of what was to come.

Mee wasted no time in commanding the room, screaming “Alright Roundhouse!” as “Swallow This” detonated through the sound system. The strobe lights flickered between red and white while the tension built, setting the stage for one of the night’s most energetic crowd interactions. Mee split the crowd down the middle and encouraged the headbangers from front to back to muster every ounce of energy they had. The pit responded in chaotic unison.

Orange stoplights then drenched the room as the spoken introduction of “I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead” echoed out, tightening the tension ahead of the explosive first note. The crowd erupted, fists hitting the air as a steady stream of crowd surfers spilt over the barrier. Mee worked the audience with effortless expertise. At one point she singled someone out with a grin, shouting “Where’s Wally? Where’s the bobble hat? You’re the lord of the pit!” before proudly promising, “We’re gonna have a party tonight,” leading straight into a deafening performance of “Sunburn From Your Bible”.

A brief departure from the stage set up a sensory overload as pink, blue and purple lights pulsed throughout an atmospheric interlude. Moments later, the band came roaring back with “90 Seconds to Midnight”, maintaining maximum overdrive with slashing lights tearing across the room. The stoplight then snapped down onto guitarist/vocalist Jim Shaw before he unleashed bursts of riffs that pushed the crowd to cheer louder each time. With energy still soaring, they surged directly into “Insubordinate Ingerland”. Mee encouraged the room to forget everything outside the walls for the evening, while the strobe lights fired so rapidly that it felt almost overwhelming.

After a short exchange with the crowd and a playful jab at Shaw for drinking straight from a bottle of wine, Mee introduced “Candy Coated Lie$ (Nightmare Version)” to an enormous roar. Fans immediately recognised this as a special reimagining of a favourite, and the pit lost all restraint as the song unfolded with fierce precision. What followed was Mee’s rallying cry; “If you’ve come to spill some metaphorical blood tonight, now’s your chance. This is “The American Machine”.” A sea of bodies erupted into motion, followed by a transition into “Horror Show” that landed flawlessly as Mee yelled out her invitation to join her at a horror show.

Then came a moment of contrast. The stage went dark before slowly rising lights revealed Shaw, alone with an acoustic guitar, shortly to be joined by Mee. Mee’s voice trembled with emotion as she thanked the crowd, clearly moved by what the night meant to the band. After acknowledging their manager, she introduced “Breathing Underwater”. Phone lights illuminated the Roundhouse as the song unfolded, the crowd swaying in unison in what became the most intimate moment of the night. This was Hot Milk at their most vulnerable, demonstrating that beneath the explosive exterior is a band capable of immense emotional weight. As the song reached its conclusion, the rest of the band joined Mee and Shaw, shifting from delicate acoustic to a surging full electric sound. It was a reminder that Hot Milk are not only exceptional songwriters but masterful performers. From there, they launched seamlessly into “Bloodstream”, swinging the night back into high-energy territory.

The final stretch delivered a barrage of fan favourites including “Asphyxiate” and “Glass Spiders”. After leaving the stage briefly, the band returned for an encore with “Sympathy Sympathy,” “Party On My Deathbed,” and the explosive “Chase The Dragon”, sending the Roundhouse into one last frenzy before the final note rang out.

As the lights finally brightened, one thing was unmistakably clear to everyone in attendance: Hot Milk have outgrown the size of the rooms they are currently playing. Their confidence, stagecraft and sheer impact hinted at something far bigger on the horizon. The next time London sees Hot Milk, the stage will undoubtedly be larger, the venue capacity amplified, and the band’s already rock-star-level presence expanded to a scale worthy of their trajectory.

Our photographer, Harry Wassell Photography, went to the show, check out his gallery and the Hot Milk setlist here:

Hot Milk Setlist:

1. Hell Is on Its Way
2. Swallow This
3. I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD
4. Sunburn From Your Bible
5. Machine Elves (Interlude)
6. 90 Seconds To Midnight
7. Bad Influence
8. Insubordinate Ingerland
9. Candy Coated Lie$ (Nightmare version)
10. The American Machine
11. HORROR SHOW
12. BREATHING UNDERWATER
13. BLOODSTREAM
14. OVER YOUR DEAD BODY
15. Sediments (Interlude)
16. Asphyxiate
17. Glass Spiders
18. Sympathy Symphony
19. PARTY ON MY DEATHBED
20. Chase The Dragon

Hot Milk (w/ Silly Goose, Cassyette) @ Camden Roundhouse (London, UK) on November 19th, 2025

55 photos