The Molotovs @ Beckett SU, Leeds – 17 September 2026
Words and Photos – John Hayhurst
Some venue upgrades tell you everything about where a band is heading. Originally booked for The Wardrobe, tonight’s show has moved to Leeds Beckett SU to accommodate extra demand. For The Molotovs, it feels like another step in a climb that is gathering serious pace. The London band have put in the miles, played every gig they can and earned their growing reputation through sheer hard work. Seeing that graft translate into bigger rooms is hugely satisfying.
At the centre of it all are siblings Mathew and Issey Cartlidge, armed with Rickenbacker guitar and bass respectively, delivering a modern mod sound with plenty of bite. Mathew’s styling takes its cues squarely from Paul Weller’s Jam years, and those influences extend well beyond the wardrobe. There is urgency here, a youthful impatience that gives familiar musical reference points a fresh charge.
Issey, meanwhile, is a photographer’s dream. Constantly moving, wonderfully expressive and seemingly incapable of giving the same shot twice, she commands attention throughout. Keeping a lens trained on her is practically a workout. Between the siblings, there is always something happening, their energy giving the performance a visual character every bit as strong as its sound.
Looking around the hall, the mod connection is unmistakable. There are plenty of older Jam and Who fans, drawn by the chance to reconnect with the spirit of records that shaped their youth. Alongside them stand younger rock fans, some arriving following the band’s support slots on Yungblud’s UK arena tour earlier this year. It is a curious, encouraging mix: different generations finding common ground in a young band with something to prove.
Opening with ‘Johnny Don’t Be Scared’, The Molotovs work through a set balancing material from January’s debut, Wasted on Youth, with a glimpse of its follow-up, Welcome to Urbia, due next April.
‘Rhythm of Yourself’, ‘Daydreaming’ and ‘Geraldine’ feature in the opening stretch, establishing how much material they already have to draw upon.
Then comes ‘Today’s Gonna Be Our Day’, arriving seventh in the set rather than being held back for its usual encore duties. It is a confident move, bringing a calling card into play while there is still plenty of evening left. Their performance of it on The Jonathan Ross Show helped kick the growing interest into another gear, bringing fresh attention and increased ticket demand. Tonight’s upgraded venue makes that momentum tangible.
Crucially, the set also makes room for what comes next. ‘Urbia’ the new single sits amongst the next album material, while the debut remains well represented through ‘Wasted on Youth’, ‘More More More’, ‘Get a Life’ and ‘Newsflash’. With a second album already on the horizon, there is a sense of a band pushing forward while new listeners are still getting acquainted with the first chapter.
A rousing version of David Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’ closes the main set, its swagger a natural fit for the evening. The encore then looks forward again with new track ‘No Time to Talk’, before ‘Come On Now’ supplies the final farewell. It is a neat reflection of the whole show: familiar influences, established favourites and new ideas sharing the same stage.
The Molotovs have the look, the songs and, above all, the work ethic to carry this much further. Tonight demonstrates why the recognition is arriving, and why fans across generations are paying attention. Once Welcome to Urbia lands, expect another jump in venue size. On this evidence, Leeds Beckett SU could soon join The Wardrobe on the list of rooms they have outgrown.
Check Out latest single ‘Urbia’ and preorder/presave ‘Welcome To Urbia’ here – https://themolotovs.lnk.to/WelcomeToUrbia