Guildhall, Portsmouth, April 04 2026
At a time when alternative music is at one of the highest peaks it has been at in a long time, events like Takedown Festival have never been more vital.
Such spaces have always been necessary in the UK, gatherings where a whole host of Next Big Things can come together and showcase what a vibrant, vivacious and varied scene this isle has cultivated.
And when more eyes are on the bands making their way through the ranks and finding success not just here but in all four corners of the globe, having such a place for them to celebrate such achievements, show what cutting your teeth in this environment can teach you and inspire the next legion of bands to take that step into the unknown is everything.”
And that’s exactly why over 2000 fanatics have found their way to the Guildhall in the heart of Portsmouth, because they know just how much it means to them.
Kicking off proceedings is a band who embody what it means to use the environment they were brought up in devastating effect, and that is Artio. Born, bred and bolstered in the North of England, their fast, frantic and fantastically bold take on modern British rock blows away the cobwebs proudly and properly. Pulling from their recently released debut album’ Soul Rot’, a collection of songs that dive deeper, emotionally and musically, than anything they have conjured before, the result is astonishingly effective. Throw in a guest appearance from As It Is’ Patty Walters and Ben Langford-Biss on the sensational ‘Full On Fight For Fun’, and you have the perfect start to the day.
Speaking of As It Is, the quartet’s set later on in the day provides a sensational look at where they have been and where they are heading. From the buoyant admissions of ‘Hey Rachel’ and pit-spinning intensity of ‘No Way Out’ and ‘The Wounded World’ giving a glimpse of their well-trodden paths of yesteryear, to a first ever showing of the poignant ‘Marilyn’ and beautifully tear-stained ‘Lose Your Way & Find Yourself’ demonstrating the reflective growth and contentment that defines them now, their 40 minutes on stage is enough to make the soul gleam that little bit brighter. And all these years later, few songs still get as rapturous a singalongs as ‘Dial Tones’ does. Absolutely affirming.
Takedown also makes sure that the heavier side of the scene is catered for in abundance. Vexed deliver technically and bile-drenched tenacity with a sneer, their street-savvy take on metalcore making every head in attendance bang with intent, whilst Lastelle push themselves to the very edge with their emotionally triumphant brand of melodic post-hardcore brilliance, trumpet solos and all. Then there is Graphic Nature bringing the most skin-shredding elements of nu-metal hurtling into the here and now with a bang. From the dizzying pace of ‘Locked In’ to the deafening vulnerability of ‘White Noise’, fists fly, necks snap and voices are lost in the absolute chaos.
Speaking of chaos, Wargasm put in one hell of a claim for putting in the most unpredictable and unhinged display of the day. More bold, battering and belligerent in their current form as a five-piece, the fist-raised power of ‘Vigilantes’ and fiery annihilation of ‘Pyro Pyro’ has the room spinning at a pace it has reached yet today.
Then there are the bands about to become very big deals indeed. Stopping off for a little visit to the south coast whilst on a nationwide headline tour, Mouth Culture have the venue in the palm of their hands the moment they take the stage. Showcasing all of the desire and dedication that this country’s guitar music is defined by, whilst also penning the sort of choruses designed to get lodged in your head for weeks on end, the reaction they receive is nothing short of delirium. From the insatiably addictive ‘Sharkbait’ to the latest banger ‘On and On’, it’s clear they are on a fast track to the very top.
The same can be said for Vower. Their caustic, densely layered set of otherworldly compositions is transformative. All packed into their seats, they take in the spectacle, stand awe-stricken as the quintet moves in perfect tandem, conjuring the sort of heaviness that sticks with you. From the gritty audacity of ‘Stuck’ to the gargantuan riffs that bubble out of ‘Shroud’, there is nobody else that does it, or even comes close to sounding like them, and that makes a performance of this size and stature even more compelling.
Though the day rounds out with the sort of happening that everyone who has made the trip will say for years to come, ‘I was there’. And that comes in the form of a campaign rally courtesy of PRESIDENT. Serving as their first-ever festival headline slot, something that will become a regular occurrence in years to come for sure, the neon-pink glow that emanates from their impressive stage set-up has every single pair of eyes transfixed, before an opening gambit of ‘Fearless’, just as many throats are shredding. Making their way through their already impressive collection of tracks, from already classics such as the bludgeoning ‘Destroy Me’ and bubbling ‘Dionysus’, to freshly dropped spine-tinglers’ Angel Wings’ and ‘Mercy’, every soaring vocal, punishing breakdown and blistering refrain is met with pure adoration. Throw in the now iconic cover of Deftones’ ‘Change (In The House of Flies)’, and you have an instantly iconic set. One that plays a huge part in the making of something genuinely special.
Without Takedown, moments like this aren’t possible. It’s because of the love, dedication and want and need to see the music made in this country blossom and bloom that they can take place. It’s the sort of belief that has kept the scene rolling for years and will keep things going as we all step into the great unknown. But as long as there are choruses to scream, riffs to dance to, breakdowns to incite chaos and a hunger for something deeper, darker and more devastating from bands and fans alike, the fire will keep on burning.
And it’s only going to get bigger from here.
