Show Review: HIGHDRIVE, Martial Arts, and Spanish Horses at The Lexington, London.
January 8th, 2026.
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“All gas and no breaks”
January 10th, 2026
Rain streaked the windows of the single-decker bus bound for Angel to see Day 2 of The Lexington’s Tastemaker Series. The Lexington was a warm escape from the pitch-black night customary at 7:00 PM. Before my friend Anneke arrived, I secured my rum and coke. At the bar, I met Billy, the drummer of HIGHDRIVE. Before going on stage, Lucas, the lead singer, told Billy, “Remember...”. Billy told me he meant to remember how they were going to play their new single, Cherry tonight. He continued that they like adding something to the recording for live performances. HIGHDRIVE was on first with Martial Arts, and Spanish Horses to follow.
HIGHDRIVE is composed of dreamy guitars and intense drums that build the structure of the song. The stage could just fit the five-piece as they played, and they played hard. The Bassist, Eva, lost her glasses as she kept the song's heartbeat. Over Anneke’s cherry-flavoured cigarettes, I met the rest of the band. The set perfectly reflected their love of shoegaze and evolution into heavier material. They agreed it's more fun playing heavier, and they look forward to performing those songs more. HIGHDRIVE met through friends of friends while in different bands. Bella (guitar) and Eva (bass) are both still in their other band, Triple Drain, which has a more gothic sound. You can see HIGHDRIVE playing in their home of Brighton at The Hope & Ruin on Feb 26th. Follow along on Instagram for the release of their second single soon.
Songs beginning with a single voice create the tone for the rest of the song to build into. Martial Arts ascends into beautifully melodic chaos. By building a mood and knowing how to set a scene, they add intention to power and set themselves apart from other postpunk bands. I met Jim (vocals/guitar) and Jack (guitar/vocals) outside and learned more about their differing influences and how they come together. In the cherry smoke, Jim told me each band member takes turns getting the aux, with song choices only occasionally met with shunning. They told me how special Manchester is as a place where bands can be inspired by each other while having very different sounds. Towards the end of the interview, Jack told me, “Someone obsessed with music is quite endearing, and you can tell that they are otherwise they would be quite boring”.
Next was Spanish Horses. Tension builds with either withholding guitars, leaving an ominous drum beat, or even leaving space for the audience to wonder what follows. Rhythms are catchy, but the tension keeps songs from becoming surface-level. One song stuck out in particular with the skill of simplicity echoing the 60s, called Greenway. Backstage, Albert (vocals/guitar) said he had written the “bare bones” of the song, with the rest fleshed out as a band. When the band comes together to write, Cyril (drums) describes responding viscerally, like when he met a fast riff Tom (vocals/guitar) brought out with slow drums that seemed counterintuitive at the time but, by the end, made sense. When asked what is next for Spanish Horses, Cyril replied, “All gas and no breaks” as they continue touring the UK. You can see them in London again at Vespers Club on Feb 19th.
The Lexington is known for satisfying audiences who will brave the cold January rain hungry for new music. That reputation was upheld tonight with a lineup that continued to engage and captivate. Day 2 of the Tastemaker series did not disappoint, and I look forward to coming back for nights 3 and 4 to see more new bands from around the UK.
| Keywords: | London | Highdrive | Martial Arts | Spanish Horses | The Lexington |
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