The George Tavern, London, November 24 2025
The streets of Shadwell are silent. On a Monday night in the middle of a November that has seen temperatures drop to minus figures, there are few out braving a wander.
But as you pass by the George Tavern, you can tell that something is stirring.
Step inside and it’s like the last days of Rome. Arms are draped around shoulders, feet are flying off the ground, pints are being held aloft, and smiles are plastered firmly across faces. The cold whistling its way down the alleys outside can’t infiltrate this red-hot atmosphere, steaming up the windows and wetting every brow that has packed itself into this iconic pub.
It’s a party to end all parties, and it’s all because of My First Time.
Spending the last two years building up a head of steam with their jaunty, topical and irresistibly catchy brand of post-whatever bangers has resulted in a wide array of people finding their way to East London for this sold-out event. From fresh-faced students to chore jacket-wearing musical aficionados, excitable groups of friends to curious bystanders, it’s a heady mix of age, sex and location. A sign that you are already on the right track to capturing the consensus.
And as the band take to the stage and break into the brilliantly backwards ‘Picture Of Health’, all those in attendance are transfixed. By the time that the gnarly ‘All Bark No Bite’ has them all bent down and jumping up again in chaotic unison, they are utterly ravenous.
There is something rather hypnotic to the way that My First Time present and deliver their creations. Vocalist Isaac Stroud-Allen has a knack for staring blankly into the abyss when he isn’t spitting his razor-sharp rhetoric, a potent blend of scathing societal takedowns and quintessentially British referencing, that is as discomforting as it is intriguing. His counterparts add to the illusion by crafting a soundtrack that hammers at your chest as much as it soothes the soul. The angular fret-bashing that accompanies the cheeky ‘Wind Up Merchant’ and the audacious ‘Celebrity’ feel overtly danceable, whilst the beautiful synths that bolster an unreleased offering hark back to the most euphoric days of British indie, a rare moment of pure sunshine in these dark and stormy skies.
What stands out the most is just how much ground the band manage to cover with their creation. There are as many post-punk quirks as there are pop sensibilities, British twinges as there are universal nods, all wrapped tightly in a beat that is impossible to ignore. It allows 45 minutes to absolutely fly by, with the sensationally brash ‘Body Bag’ seeing things out in truly chaotic style.
It all adds up to an occasion you feel will be talked about for years to come. A proper ‘I was there’ occasion, where 150 packed in like sardines gave their all for one of the most exciting and entertaining bands to wheel their way out of the underground in some time. With a collection of songs that bring out the weird in all and an attitude that is impossible to ignore, there’s a high chance that these Bristol bruisers are going to enchant many another heart and soul as 2026 appears through the shadows. For now, the appreciation of those already part of the gang is sky-high.
“All of you are special, and all of you are important. We love and cherish you,” Isaac utters, breaking his thousand-yard stare for a moment of genuine sincerity and admiration. Because below the poetry and potency, here are four kids watching their dreams come true in real time. And at the end of it all, that is what matters the most.
My First Time? It’s definitely not going to be the last.
