Machine Girl Turn O2 Forum Kentish Town in London Into a Riot of Sound

Written and Captured By | Alexandra Peter- Thomas

Another crisp evening at the O2 Forum Kentish Town as the doors draw open for the night ahead; fans hurrying to the doors, tickets in hand, eyes glinting with excitement. Friends hug, guys fist bump, and girls huddle together, scurrying to the front with great anticipation for Goreshit.

See more photos of Goreshit HERE

For those who aren’t familiar with his body of work, it dates back to 2007, with two Bandcamps: one for his pre-2011 discography and a second for his body of work post-2011. His artistry blends intense electronic styles such as breakcore and speedcore. His set was something of a trance despite the hyper-accelerated rhythms that ricocheted off the walls, the crowd cheering for more. The energy is unlike your standard DJ set; bodies were jumping, sweating, hair messy, as if we were right back in the days of Cobrasnake. Raw, gritty energy at its finest, Goreshit couldn’t have been a better opener for Machine Girl.

See more photos of Aya Sinclair HERE

Following Goreshit, we have a trans icon who rocked the room with her dark, entrancing energy. We welcome to the stage Aya Sinclair, stylized as “aya.” If you’re of the age to have been able to enjoy Crystal Castles but want something a little more body-horror unease, with bouncy electronics that fuse influences from nu-metal, hardcore rave, grime, and industrial noise, all fragmented into out-of-body waves that place you outside of yourself—this is it. Aya is truly an artist in her own lane, recounting her experiences in such a way the crowd couldn’t help but ask for more. She joked with the crowd and spoke of how one specific track sounds better in a smaller room, but the crowd wanted it anyway—and they got it. Her ability to move alongside her music so fluidly was nothing short of mesmerizing. Watch her. Listen to her. She’s it.

See more photos of Machine Girl HERE

Finally, as the crowd patiently waited for Machine Girl, the energy shifted with excitement—you could feel it in the air. As they slowly came on stage, the cheers echoed off the walls, and finally Machine Girl, stylized as “machin3gir1,” took to the stage. There was something about them that was so hypnotic you couldn’t take your eyes off them for a second, fearing you would miss an expression, a smile. Their energy was truly breathtaking. Hailing from Long Island, New York, founded by producer Matt Stephenson in 2012, who later recruited Sean Kelly to play drums in 2015, Machine Girl became the band it is today. Their “punky breakcore” sound is something you just have to hear for yourself. Their music is full of tongue-in-cheek lyrics intertwined with pop-culture references and fast-paced beats that keep the energy high and the crowd fixated.

They started out like a steadily escalating riot, with the crowd responding instinctively to every shift in tone and tempo. Opening with “We Don’t Give a Fuck” immediately ignited the room, mosh pits forming on instinct, bodies colliding with zero hesitation—they knew what they came for. Seamlessly transitioning into “Come On Baby, Scrape My Data” and “Ignore the Vore” kept the momentum feral and confrontational, the crowd shouting back fragments, arms flailing as beats slammed like industrial machinery. Everyone’s eyes were locked on the stage as they dominated the room. Towards the middle of the set, it cut to “ID Crisis Angel,” “Status,” and “Scroll of Sorrow,” pulling the audience into something darker, more immersive, gritty—a hypnotic push and pull between chaos and control.

Then we get into “Psychowar,” “Psychic Attack,” and “Necro Culture Vulture,” where the energy tipped into full frenzy. Never has a crowd had such constant movement—jumping, sweat dripping, pure feral energy from floor to ceiling. It’s healing in a way, considering how society boxes us in; there’s something about being in a crowd of people who are all there for the same thing that’s impossible to understand unless you’ve experienced it yourself. They swiftly moved into “BULLET HELL,” then into “Cicadas.” It felt punishing in the best way possible, transitioning to “Grindhouse” and then “Phantom Doom,” which is truly incredible live. If you have the opportunity to hear it live, take it. It feels like an out-of-body experience in the best way possible.

To close, the crowd went truly wild for “ATHOTH A GO!! GO!!!,” “Fortress Destroyer,” and “Dread Architect.” Jokingly, for the encore, Matt says, “I lied to you before—this wasn’t our last song (‘i-Void Destroyer’), but this is our last song (‘Batsu Forever’),” and it was truly cathartic: a final, communal explosion that left the crowd screaming. Matt thanked Goreshit and told the crowd that for anyone taking pictures or reviewing, to say good things about him or he would “gore your shit.” The crowd laughed and cheered at this, then thanked aya for taking the stage, and finally thanked everyone for being there.

Go see them. Support artists that give you an out-of-body experience and give you something to think about.

See more photos of Machine Girl HERE