Live Review: Bloodywood with Calva Louise at The O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London (27/03/25)
The rise of Bloodywood is as startling as it is impressive, and even by their own accounts, they can’t quite believe they’ve gone from headlining venues that can hold 250 people, to venues that can hold 2600 in just a few years. Hell, the last time I saw them in 2023, they had sold out the 1500 capacity Electric Ballroom. Now, here they are, having recently released their brand-new album, the excellent ‘Nu Delhi’ (read our review here) and playing to a sold-out crowd in London on the last date of their massive EU/UK ‘Return of the Singh’ tour.
Bloodywood are popular, but it’s not just in London, as the entire tour has seen venues packed out across the UK and Europe. People are hungry for nu-toned anthemic metal crossed with Indian folk, and now Bloodywood have a stronger wealth of music to draw upon.
Let me get this out of the way now. This was an amazing show. It was packed, uncomfortably so at times, but spirits were high, voices were loud, and the energy was electrifying. However, that was in place way before Bloodywood took to the stage.
Now, unfortunately, interview commitments meant I wasn’t able to get to the venue for Demonic Resurrection. However, I’ve been reliably told that they were great. No surprise, they’re a fantastic band and Sahil Makhija is a legend in the metal scene, let alone the Indian metal scene.
I was there for Calva Louise though and that made me very happy. I love this band and can see big things in their future. Especially when they look so at home on a stage of this size. Considering the last time I saw them play was at the tiny venue, Omeara in 2024, they have come a long way already and you can tell that they impress a lot of people here.
Tracks like W.T.F., Third Class Citizen, Aimless, and the brand-new Tunnel Vision sound incredible and nothing is lost in a venue of this size. It turns out that Calva Louise’s music is made for places like this, and their energy is mightily infectious.
Carry on this way, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them headlining this venue in years to come. They leave to resounding cheers and shouts having made a ton of new fans.
By contrast, it’s highly unlikely that there aren’t many inside the Forum that aren’t aware of Bloodywood, and the air is electric as the lights finally go down around 9:30pm. Arriving on stage to deafening roars of approval and bouncing around with the kind of energy you don’t expect from a band on their 26th show of this tour. That’s Bloodywood for you though, giving it their all as always, and for over an hour, they throw everything into showing London just how far they’ve come as a live band, and how much fun can be had at a show like this.
Tracks like Dana Dan, Nu Delhi, Tadka, Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot), and Halla Bol sound immensely heavy. Jee Veerey never stops being so powerful, Bekhauf is so much fun (even if BABYMETAL couldn’t be bothered to show up and do their guest bit live – I jest, of course), and Gaddaar never stops being an anthem. Hell, there is even pyro, which adds such a stronger level of showmanship to their set. They were great when I saw them in 2023, but this was something else. One of my favourite shows of the year so far.
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Bloodywood with Calva Louise at The O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London (27/03/25)
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Bloodywood - 9.5/10
9.5/10
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Calva Louise - 9/10
9/10
