The Struts are a UK rock band that have been on the scene since 2012 .They are renowned for their unbridled stage presence and larger-than-life stage presence, especially thanks to the cheeky charm of frontman Luke Spiller. The band, made up of Spiller, guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies are a staple of the contemporary British rock scene, delivering pizzazz and showbiz to their live shows.

Before The Struts graced the O2 Institute’s stage, we were subject to two incredible support acts. James Bruner is a fresh face over the pond from Nashville, Tennessee, with great promise and was a decent live act. Barns Courtney was the other support, and he was an absolute whirlwind on stage. He refused to be ignored, using his microphone half for singing, half for martial arts – swinging it around like a pair of nunchucks; at one point he actually smacked his bassist in the head with his microphone stand. He had great control of the crowd, making everyone – except the greyer ones – sit down to begin his final song ‘Fire’. 

Speaking of older people, I was very surprised by the mix of rowdy uni students and proper adults – it was a healthy 50/50 split. A lot of them were in the stands on the floor above the main crowd. My surprise comes from how relatively new all these bands are, but that just goes to show how good their music is – if music is good enough, it will never be limited by a metric as whimsy as age. 

After a long break post-Barns Courtney, the Struts finally strutted on stage to ‘Primadonna Like Me’. Spiller’s vocals were absolutely phenomenal; his fiery stage presence perfectly complimented his soaring vocals. He reminded me of videos I had seen of Freddie Mercury, both in mannerisms and style, and he commanded complete attention from the crowd. Speaking of his crowdwork, there were many standout moments: there was a left-versus-right side audience cheer-off, and before their final encore ‘Could Have Been Me’, Spiller split the crowd Red-Sea style, and ventured in to begin the song amongst his fans. 

Particularly strong songs from the band included ‘Pretty Vicious’ – title track of their 2023 album of the same name – and ‘London Girl’, my personal favourite track of theirs. 

The Struts are a great live band, and the fact they are going this strong nearly 12 years after their conception is a testament to their legacy. I will admit that their tracks online, although good, didn’t exactly blow me away; their live performance sought to remedy any doubts I had going in, and definitely delivered. I would highly recommend their live show to anyone looking for a fun night out full of dancing and great, classic British rock. 

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