JAWS @ ELECTRIC BALLROOM: FAREWELL TO INDIE HEROES AFTER 13 YEARS

LIVE REVIEW | JAWS | ELECTRIC BALLROOM, LONDON 24th April 2025 by Charlie Wright

JAWS are an indie-rock band from Birmingham, who rose to notoriety after a string of early singles, including indie favourite Stay In. The band formed in 2012 and have remained unsigned for their thirteen-year career, releasing three albums, headlining venues up and down the country and touring with the likes of Peace and Swim Deep. However, all good things come to an end. In 2024, the quartet announced it was the end of the road with three final dates: London, Manchester and Birmingham.

The news was shocking to many, but unsurprising to others. They are one in a long line of 2010s indie bands that have recently dissolved, following The Magic Gang, Sundara Karma, KAWALA, Marsicans, Blaenavon, and many more. For us (or more so, myself, writing this), these were pivotal bands during adolescence. And JAWS, more so, never received the recognition they deserved.

To send off the indie super-group in style, we headed to London’s historic Electric Ballroom to catch the boys one final time. We weren’t the only ones, either. Fans arrived from across the world, some as far as Florida, to bid farewell to their beloved band. At 9.30 pm, they arrived, strutting onto the stage to the sound of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man. It all felt very epic. We liked it. And so did the sold-out crowd.

JAWS played a strong set list, covering all of the hits from each album. Fans were also pleasantly surprised to hear Swim for the first time since 2015. From start to end, there was a palpable sense of community in the tight-knit room, people united in singing along to every word. Think Too Much, Feel Too Little, in particular, as always, had incredible crowd participation with little prompting. The same could be said of Stay In and Gold, which closed the night to roaring applause.

“It’s a bit weird, isn’t it. We’re going to play some old songs. Enjoy them while you can.” were strange words to hear coming from frontman Connor. The reality? This may be the last time many of us hear the tracks live, but the memories will live on forever. Those who stayed afterwards also got to experience a DJ Set after-party, which will be something to hold close for years to come.

For a finale in London, JAWS truly went out with a bang. We hope that in a few years they return, and if not, we’re all thankful for what they’ve given to the scene.