WELCOME TO URBIA: THE MOLOTOVS MAKE THEIR MARK ON GLASGOW

LIVE REVIEW | THE MOLOTOVS w/ The Cases | SWG3 TV STUDIO, GLASGOW | 10th September 2026 by Courteney Pearson

When walking into SWG3’s TV Studio for The Molotovs, I felt like I had been spat out of a time machine into another era. Somehow, it never felt like a cheap copy or a half-arsed attempt at nostalgia. Trying to pin The Molotovs down as simply another retro-inspired band would be doing them a massive disservice.

In fact, guitar music has never been so back.

Glasgow Got The Mod Memo

Mod cuts and Fred Perry polo shirts filled the packed concrete room from end to end. I was actually taking mental notes for my next trip to the hairdresser. Haircuts for the crowd, 10/10. All around, there was a buzz in the air for what was yet to come, but first, opening the evening was Preston four-piece, The Cases.

Their set was well received, with plenty of that youthful energy on display. They largely played through songs from their EP Mr Penny. Although I personally would have preferred to see a support who leaned more into that mod revival vibe. That said, I love a good indie band, and it certainly didn’t take away from the skill on display. The Cases performed an incredible high-energy opening set, allowing the crowd to warm up the old vocal cords before the London siblings took to the stage.

I have a lot of respect for young bands who are able to get up and play to rooms utterly packed to the brim, and if this night was anything to go by, The Cases are certainly one to watch.

A Warm Welcome From Glasgow

As the pair entered, the room erupted into a manic roar. In that moment, I realised just how much the music community craves real performance, real music, and god do The Molotovs provide that.

Think The Jam, a little bit of Blondie, and of course that unmistakable sound they have forged, blending the best of all the greats, wrapped up into something that feels more than at home in 2026. And they look so cool doing it.

Go-Go boots, ripped tights, and a flash of bright yellow eyeshadow around Issey Cartlidge’s striking blue eyes made her almost impossible not to stop and marvel at. I was simply obsessed with her energy. Every single exaggerated movement felt like watching a chess master at work, like the flow of a waterfall; she’s absolutely majestic. Somehow… she never misses a note on that Rickenbacker.

Issey has found a way to perfectly encapsulate that vintage charm and drama; she is completely at home on that stage.

And then there’s the equally cool Matt Cartlidge, completing the pair. I’ve not seen fan-girling at the barrier quite like it in a long time; teens screamed at the stage any time Matt glanced in their direction, completely unaware of the fact he was most likely blinded by the stage lights and couldn’t see past the first few rows anyway.

Guitar Music Is So Back

The sound in SWG3’s TV Studio is always great in my opinion. The size, shape and material of the room all play a part in the way those vibrations enter the ears of fans. Even at the very back of the room and in the line for the toilets, fans sway and bob along to the beat of the bass.

I particularly enjoyed the intimacy of the TV Studio; although a larger room, the stage sits very low, giving that illusion of being nice and close to the band. That usual neck-breaking divide between crowd and stage is completely gone here and it gave the band the opportunity to engage with the crowd that little bit more.

Everyone knows the reputation of a Glasgow crowd; it’s all I talk about. This night was no different. Matt and Issey repeatedly egged the audience on to get louder and louder, and the room obliged with an impressive ease. Every demand for more noise was met with an even bigger response. The energy bouncing between the stage and the crowd was something else entirely.

I was sweating, like absolute hell. Partly my fault due to the jumper I wore, but mainly due to the mass of even sweatier bodies I was wedged between. To be honest, there’s no other way to enjoy good music like this. The combination of venue and music just gets me in the mood to let loose and throw myself even further into the crowd.

What I hadn’t really anticipated was how much of an older crowd there would be. It was refreshing; for once, there wasn’t a sea of phones; instead, a sea of vintage mod cuts.

Among the younger faces, the fans who are perhaps the same age as the band themselves, there were plenty of people who looked as though they lived through the very movements that have inspired The Molotovs. There was a large portion of the crowd who remember that era firsthand, and I found myself wondering whether part of the attraction to this band is the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their past in a band bringing those sounds to a new generation. I found something rather lovely in that.

This wasn’t just a room full of people trying to relive their youth; the younger crowd is just as invested, and The Molotovs seem to have found a way of bringing generations together through a shared love of guitar music.

More, More, More

Strip away the clothes, haircuts and the fact that this is a pair of incredibly cool people, you’re left with one thing that really matters most: The Molotovs are absolutely exceptional musicians.

To play with that much energy, at such a consistently high level, is something rarely seen these days. Nothing is half-hearted; they don’t just make their way through a setlist. They force you to remember why live guitar music is so exciting.

Perhaps that’s where some of their vintage charm comes from. They understand that being in this sort of band isn’t just about getting on stage and making it through the set. Each performance matters, the attitude they bring matters, the connection with the crowd matters, and they understand that with every show they put on, they fill rooms full of generations and bring them together, making rooms full of strangers feel like they are part of something bigger. I do believe The Molotovs are something truly special, and that we will look back in years to come on them as the greats of our time.

Hearing ‘Urbia’ live was one of those moments where I felt like I was witnessing something really significant. Standing in that packed room watching a band this young command a Glasgow crowd spanning generations, it felt like this was only the beginning of something destined to be much bigger.

By the time ‘More, More, More’ arrived, the crowd had firmly shown they were in attendance to make as much noise as possible. This track certainly received the highest praise of the night. Loud and sweaty appeared to be the overarching theme.

Fan favourites like ‘Today’s Gonna Be Our Day’, ‘Rhythm of Yourself‘ and ‘Get a Life’ were great to witness with the high levels of energy from the crowd. I loved seeing people actually enjoying the band and not obsessing over getting the best video they can for a social grid post.

As I left SWG3 to walk home, there was little doubt in my mind that this is a band who have achieved something so impressive. The comparison to the bands who have come before will inevitably continue, but The Molotovs aren’t just recreating the past; they’ve taken everything that made those eras exciting and given it a new lease of life.

If this is where young British guitar music is heading, consider my polo shirt collection out of retirement and back in the pit.

The Molotovs upcoming release Welcome To Urbia, is available to preorder now. I know I’ll certainly be spinning my vinyl on April 9th in great anticipation.