From the first riff, The Molotovs set fire to a sold-out Black Prince.

The Black Prince was bursting at the seams on Tuesday 27 January as The Molotovs rolled into town for a sold-out Independent Venue Week show. It was one of those nights where you could feel something brewing before a note had even been played.

There was a distinct look to the crowd. Not your standard gig-going mix, but a sharp, knowing assembly of well-dressed mod veterans—pressed shirts, clean lines, and polished Chelsea boots. It felt intentional. Fitting. Like everyone had turned up understanding exactly what kind of night this was going to be.

Opening the evening were Manchester upstarts ROLLA, bringing with them a swagger that’s impossible to fake. There’s an unmistakable lineage running through their sound with echoes of Oasis in the chord progressions and that loose, rolling confidence. All big hooks and northern attitude. For a band still on the rise, they carried the room well, setting the tone without overreaching.

By the time The Molotovs took the stage, the room had tightened. Anticipation had turned into urgency.A three-piece built around a brother-and-sister core, they arrive with a fully formed identity. Both front and centre in matching mod aesthetics, they look the part before they even plug in but this isn’t style over substance.

From the first track, their garage rock sound hit with a raw, immediate punch. No frills, no filler — just sharp riffs, driving rhythms, and the kind of energy that thrives in a packed, sweating room. It’s music that feels alive in close quarters.

The real focal point, though, is the chemistry between the siblings. There’s something instinctive about it — unspoken cues, tight turns, everything landing exactly where it should. On bass, Issey Cartlidge is magnetic. She doesn’t just play — she moves. Constantly shifting, pulling shapes, owning every inch of the stage with a confidence that draws your eye again and again.

Out front, her brother Matt matches that intensity, driving the set with sharp vocals and a restless presence. Together, they blur the line between rhythm section and front line, making the whole thing feel more dynamic than your typical three-piece setup.

What stands out most is how locked-in they are. There’s no sense of a band finding their feet. They already feel road-hardened, even in a relatively intimate venue. Every track lands with intent, every transition tight, every moment purposeful.

By the time they closed, it was clear this wasn’t just another stop on a tour — it had the weight of something bigger, the kind of show people will casually reference months down the line as the one they caught before things took off.

Independent Venue Week thrives on nights like this. Packed rooms, emerging bands, and that shared sense of discovery.

With their debut album Wasted Youth currently battling Lily Allen for the UK Number 1 spot, The Molotovs already feel on the cusp of something bigger. They won’t be playing rooms like The Black Prince for much longer — but for those packed in on the night, that’s exactly what made it special.