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Jun 03, 2026 By Elliot Graves Photography by Elliot Graves Web Exclusive

Iceage delivered a chaotically beautiful matinee show in London, on Saturday, the 30th of May. Touring limited capacity venues to celebrate the release of their album For Love Of Grace & The Hereafter, they double-headlined a run at The George Tavern, which consisted of a matinee show and an evening show.

The Danish five-piece has blended mesmerising punk energy with seamlessly melodic instrumentals for nearly two decades. Originally a four-piece formed in 2008, when they were just teenagers, they were joined by guitarist Casper Morilla in 2019.

From their roots in hardcore-punk to poetic post-punk, all throughout their eighteen-year career, new pulsating ideas have formed. Their new album blends genres and ideas, Americana slide guitar with chugging post-punk guitar riffs, disco-style basslines matched with uptempo drumbeats, an ingenious album full of superlative songwriting.

Releasing critically acclaimed albums, being compared to Nick Cave’s early career, Iceage are back with an energetic live show. Half a decade since their last studio album, their overall songwriting and instrumentation have matured magnificently. Playing their new album in full live was a testament to their brilliance.

After an ambient-sounding introduction, it set a ghostly undertone; they ripped into “Ember,” and the crowd immediately grasped the bittersweet ballad’s energy, full of sinister romantic undertones, producing a slap of energy into the hearts of the room. Chanting the lyrics “I love you in an ominous way”, the song’s themes wouldn’t be too lost in a 19th-century novel, which isn’t too far off from Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s romantic writing style.

Iceage thrive in rooms like this, small sweaty stages, intimate and personal. Rønnenfelt dripped in sweat from leaping around the stage and rarely stood still. The naturally poetic lyrics of “Match Head Girl” were mixed with jumping, glittering guitars reminiscent of Bloc Party and a leaping rhythm section anchoring the arrangements. Rønnenfelt’s growling vocal telling the crowd to “Move” after standing too still for his liking. The energy immediately shifted to a push moshpit.

“The Weak” was another highlight. A small moshpit was formed; hands were raised whilst the chorus was chanted: “Life is for the weak”. Rønnenfelt bought out a salt-shaker-looking recorder to freely play his avant-garde solo in a humorous trance. The set dropped down to a somber song, “No Fear,” Rønnenfelt’s poetry in an array with the rhythm section that drove the core. Ronnenfelt still leapt around the stage, heavy set eye contact with the crowd.

The songs swept with gloom and beauty. Bassist Jakob Pless produced tight, scaling bass fills, locking in beautifully with Drummer Dan Nielsen. Nielsen’s drumming is simply underrated; he added flair to the beautifully crafted instrumentation, showing years of experience. Nielsen drove the heartbeat of the songs, imitating human drum machine Stephen Morris of Joy Division on songs like “Holy Water” and “You’re Nothing” later in the encore. Johan Wieth started to get into the songs more as the set progressed, spinning around nonchalantly.

Everyone in the 150-cap venue was absolutely drenched in sweat. The George Tavern’s ceiling fans tried their best to cool down the room, but to no avail, sticky and sweaty like an Iceage gig should be. Rønnenfelt masterfully enticed the crowd during the set; he even teased the crowd by pretending to give away the microphone in a mesmerising and original act. There’s something truly hypnotic about Rønnenfelt’s stage presence, leaping around the stage, making up for the energy that the other band members lack. Despite a calm stage presence, they’ve perfected their live sound. After the song “Holy Water” blazed through with captivating guitar riffs, both guitarists seamlessly nailed the main catchy riff.

For their encore, they tear the stage apart with “Ecstasy” off 2013’s album You’re Nothing. The older fans screaming “Pressure, Pressure” in unison is a sure crowd favourite. Then followed by the title track off the album “You’re Nothing”, the moshpit enlarged, and aggressive energy erupted as people bounced around. Next, “Pain Killer” enlisted the whole crowd to scream the lyrics back at Ronnenfelt, currently their most-streamed song. Chopping drum beats, droning guitars, Rønnenfelt was thoroughly soaked in sweat, giving it his all. The star on his t-shirt turned from light to dark grey. “Lords Favourite” followed by the slow-burning, tender “Catch It”.

An amazing encore for a band that’s conquered their ever-evolving sound over their 18-year lifespan. The band all walked offstage, saying their thanks and appreciation, the crowd wailing loudly back in awe. Sweaty rooms breed brilliance for Iceage.