Kiosk in the Big Smoke

The Social, London 
Tuesday 31st March 2026

Our London correspondent Henry Swales was on the ground in the big smoke to catch Kiosk; one of the diamonds in the Leeds crown. 

Kiosk began a set of danceable electro punk with their brilliant new single ‘Heaven Sent’. It functions as a perfect introduction to their show; its pulsating beat gets the crowd moving. With the dreamy vocals of the chorus providing a catchy line to latch on to, they quickly win the crowd over, and the room fills up. The room in question is the basement of The Social, where the 42nd edition of We Are So Young, by So Young Magazine, is taking place. The stony room provides a perfect backdrop for the on-stage lighting to bounce around the floor, illuminating the crowd, and adding to the dancey feel of the set.

Further into the set, the two-piece featuring Bella Alcock as frontwoman and Rory “Maz” Maslen on bass, with both working on drum machines and synths throughout, really get into their groove. During a prolonged instrumental section in the unreleased ‘Vegas, Baby!’ Bella is headbanging to the beat, Maz strolling around, owning part of the stage too, and the crowd is reciprocating their genuine energy. Kiosk is a band that is sure of itself. The audience can feel this; more and more people are beginning to move with the thudding of the drum machine, the buzz of the effect-heavy bass sound, and the mesmerising synths.

Later, the tone of the set shifts slightly, as the trippy and ethereal new release ‘Sure Shot’ paints a picture of a mysterious drive seemingly through a desert-like area, where nothing is like it seems. With its unsettling vibe and offbeat percussion, the lyrics tell of signs telling drivers not to pick up hitchhikers. In the crowd, it feels as though we are in a joint bad acid trip, driving through a Reddit horror story, as some lyrics mysteriously return again and again in the song. Motor sounds take us out and into the next track; the more upbeat ‘Would You’. It plays as a fitting end to what has been a refreshing set, a brilliant excuse to let loose and move, as well as having enough surreal moments to keep you wondering about the tracks long after the lights have come on.

You can catch Kiosk live at Mabgate Bleach on Wednesday 20th May (see @wisecrackpresents for more details) or back at The Social on Tuesday 5th May at Futureform (see @formpresents for more details).

Words by Henry Swales (@luckyshoegigs)

Gig poster from So Young Magazine (@soyoungmagazine)