Photo: Fraser Kerr

Live Review: Electric Callboy – UK/France Tour 2022/23 – Chalk, Brighton

Chalk in Brighton has had techno nights before but never anything quite like what went down on the 24th of November 2022. Electric Callboy brought their electronic-infused metalcore to the seaside town and after being postponed due to Nico Sallach suffering from a severe jaw and ear infection, the anticipation had hit its breaking point. Here’s what went down!

Kicking off proceedings was German metallers Annisokay and these guys wasted no time bringing a heavy feel to the night. High energy mixed with tonnes of crowd interaction is exactly what you look for within a support act and these guys nailed their role. Winning over the Brighton crowd with explosive original tracks like ‘Friend Or Enemy’ and ‘Unaware’ while also getting the fans’ vocal cords warmed up with a unique cover of Slipknot’s ‘Duality’. Ending their set was the emphatic track ‘STFU’ which allowed the excitement levels to hit an all-time high.

Photo: Fraser Kerr

Neon-purple lights filled the room and as a familiar electronic melody slowly grew louder, Electric Callboy took to the stage and detonated the tension with ‘Pump It’. Within an instant, the dance floor was bouncing and wouldn’t stop for a moment. ‘Arrow Of Love’ encouraged the fans to get their best singing voice while tracks such as ‘Hate/Love’ and ‘The Scene’ tested the resilience of the Mosh pit crew!

The non-stop Tekkno parties were in full swing once ‘Castrop X Spandau’ which tested the crowd’s German skills before hitting them with a double whammy of ‘Supernova’ followed by ‘MC Thunder II (Dancing Like A Ninja)’. Some would say it came through like a freight train however, I’d opt to say it was definitely more of a ‘Tekkno Train’. This song received a huge reaction and the entire dance floor was bouncing along to its infectious rhythm. What better time to drop one of your biggest songs? ‘Hypa Hypa’ not only gave the crowd their second wind, but it also reignited their entire energy reserve!

Wasting little time as the band jumped from ‘Crystals’ to ‘Best Day’ and ‘Parasite’. Maybe one of the best turns of the night came in the form of ‘Hurrikan’. The cheesy German Schlager track with a deathcore twist went down exceptionally well, with the band ever encouraging a wall of death within the Brighton Nightclub. ‘MC Thunder’ would close out the main portion of the set before Electric Callboy would take to the stage for an explosive three-song encore of ‘Mindreader’, ‘Spaceman’, and ‘We Got The Moves’.

With a show booked for London’s prestigious Brixton Academy next year, this set proved they have what it takes to make that gigantic leap! Electric Callboy are a breath of fresh air within the metal scene and their whimsical approach to their music makes for a stage show quite unlike anything else in the scene at the moment. If you can get down to London for their next show, I would highly recommend it!

Photo: Fraser Kerr