Show Review: Gegenpress, itsmyluckyday, Swamp at The George Tavern, London.
February 22nd, 2026.
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”immediacy with layers”
February 12th, 2026
Tonight was too dark and too cold with too many overground complications. However, there are no weather or transportation obstacles that could keep me from The George Tavern. After hearing their new singles, I was excited to see gegenpress again. On first were Swamp and itsmyluckyday, who I was looking forward to hearing for the first time.
Swamp is led by angelic vocals with shoegaze guitars that escalate. The crowd was moving more than any first opener I have seen before. A few bubbles glide through the air from within the audience. For just one song, Kez (vocals) and Effie (guitar) switched roles. This created a different atmosphere with a new, tender voice taking over. The next song featured a slow dance beat and synth. Together, they built up to raw distortion until a beautiful come down. Last year, they released their first single, Magic Man.
itsmyluckyday consists of one guitar and two voices. Their performance was stripped back, letting the audience feel the power of each lyric and the weight of a single note. Each song feels emotional and personal, soft in a way that is not indifferent, but so intense it must be expressed with caution. itsmyluckyday puts on a refreshing and intimate set between the bands before and after. Melodies are ominous with blasts of distortion like outbursts inevitable after suppression.
Each time I see gegenpress perform, it feels like they have accumulated more power. Songs are played just a bit differently at every gig, and it is clear that their experimentation has led to refinement. The control they exercise is evident in the way they hold the crowd. Tension is an element hard to harness, but gegenpress has mastered. After the set, Harry (drums), Charlie (guitar/vocals), and Nick (bass/vocals) joined me for an interview in the garden. After three years, their first album, Don’t Live for Heaven, is now finished. Songs have evolved over the years and are now solidified. When asked about how they decided to order these songs for the album, Nick said they followed their setlist. “Energetic at the start and moody in the middle” ”immediacy with layers”. He explained that it's like a good TV show you love more every time you watch, revealing things you didn’t notice before. The first two singles from Don’t Live for Heaven, HS2 and Thousand Cuts, have already been released.
This is the kind of venue where every band performing makes sure to be in the audience for the bands before and after them, whether it's for a few songs before going out to smoke or dancing in the front row until they can give congratulations on a great set. I already have my ticket for the Don’t Live for Heaven release show on April 18th, but I’m sure I will be back at The George Tavern before then.
| Keywords: | London | The George Tavern | gegenpress | itsmyluckyday | Swamp |
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