Art-Rock Mayhem Man/Woman/Chainsaw Take Over O2 Academy Liverpool

L J Hubbard
3 hours ago
3 min read

O2 Academy Liverpool – 20th February 2026

WORDS / IMAGES L J HUBBARD

Art-Rock Mayhem Man/Woman/Chainsaw Take Over O2 Academy Liverpool — PHOTO CREDIT L J HUBBARD

Man/Woman/Chainsaw performed in Liverpool for the very first time on Friday night, and what a performance it was. Although they’ve not released a full album yet, their set was so rich with presence, energy, and excitingly unique instrumentals, it made for an unforgettable night for everyone in the room.

Kicking off the evening were Little Grandad, a grungy, 90s-inspired band emerging out of London’s indie scenes. They were exactly the kind of act you need opening a show, engaging, energetic and there for a good time. The four-piece weren’t on stage for long, but they smashed it out the park, nailing every drum fill, guitar solo and harmony – for a band that only started out last summer, they are seriously on point. I’m looking forward to seeing more of what these guys have in store for the future.

After a brief interval, with little to no warning 50 Cent’s ‘In Da Club’ started blasting throughout the room as the sextet took to the stage. This band really love to subvert expectations, this was the last tune I expected them to enter to, and I loved every second of it.

The set began with the instantly recognisable layered intro riff of ‘The Boss’, the first track from the band’s debut EP, ‘Eazy Peazy’. Every single instrument was being worked by the band throughout this brilliantly orchestrated performance: violin, bass, drums, synth, lead and rhythm guitar all adding their own unique flare to the track. Vera Leppänen’s vocals are clean and powerful, really lending themselves to the art-rock, post-punky sound the band have going on.

The lead vocals then switched over to guitarist Billy Ward, who was joined by Leppänen to produce a beautifully harmonised chorus of ‘Adam & Steve’. This one is a massive crowd-pleaser, with a chorus so catchy it’s almost impossible not to sing along. The violin solo blew me away, it felt so different to what I expected, so distinct from the rest of the song yet it worked perfectly. The band have a sound bordering on chaotic and they do it so well: every note, every riff, every snare hit is so well-thought out and it makes for a truly engaging, remarkable show.

Despite being in their early 20s, Man/Woman/Chainsaw are experts of the touring process, having played over 100 shows since they began and as a result they really know how to start a show, getting the crowd’s energy rising from the get-go is a task that takes time and effort, yet these guys did it so naturally and immediately.

Only Girl, their latest single, didn’t even take one chord for the crowd to go wild. The violin-fronted intro is just what you need from an indie track: colourful, uplifting yet distinctive. The angelic, choral vocals reminded me of Irish indie group ‘NewDad’ thanks to its soft shoegazey undertones. This was the highlight of the night for me, it felt fresh and exhilarating – it was so lovely to see everyone in the audience dancing together, and sharing a mutual love for the music.

The set also had a few new songs interspersed throughout, which were fantastic, giving the crowd a taste of what’s to come from Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s future projects.

However, the final song of the night was ‘Ode to Clio’, a gentle starting, ballad-ish tune that suddenly and unexpectedly blows up into a cacophony of synths, guitars, harmonies, violins forming an emotionally charged, rage-filled performance full of love.

Another example of Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s talent in subverting expectations – it’s something everyone should get to experience at least once.

These guys are seriously ones to watch, I’m really excited to see what they come up with next. With each release they completely sweep me off my feet every single time, they just keep on getting better.

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