My Bloody Valentine | Chvrches
Royal Albert Hall, London
27th March 2026
In a night of contrasts, Chvrches lift the rafters of the Royal Albert Hall with soaring melodies while My Bloody Valentine shake it to its foundations with an immersive wall of sound
Scottish band Chvrches came onto every Cure fan’s radar about five years ago when Robert Smith took them under his wing for a collaboration on the exceptional How Not To Drown, which has The Cure running riot through its DNA. An appearance by Robert tonight for this song would have iced the cake, and the week, but sadly it’s not to be. Lauren Mayberry’s voice is enough to carry the song though, and the band make sure it’s one of the best moments of the night.
Chvrches choose tonight to debut three new tracks for this special show, the first two of which, Lullabies and Nightmares, both feature on their 2021 album Screen Violence, but neither seem to have been played live before now. Third up is the brand new Conman – we’re asked to “be kind as this hasn’t been played in front of humans before”. It’s a different sound for them – heavier, aggressive, claustrophobic, moreish – and bodes well for the new album due later this year. The set ends with Clearest Blue, a masterclass in nostalgic synth-pop and an opportunity for Mayberry to show off just how good her voice is, building to its life-affirming climax.
We break to watch a film about tonight’s featured teenager, Verity, and her mum. Verity is beautiful, eloquent, positive – and has terminal cancer. As always, the personal cancer stories bring everyone back to the sobering purpose of these events and the phenomenal support that Teenage Cancer Trust brings these kids.
As My Bloody Valentine arrive on the stage, questions are about to be answered – can this 155-year old building take it? Will the ceiling collapse? Will we all lose our hearing? Or will they tone it down given the venue? That earplugs are being offered out gives a clue though, and about three songs in it’s clear that few, if any, allowances have been made by Kevin Shields and co. What follows is an earthquake of an 18-song set, internal organs vibrating so much it’s hard to even glance, let alone gaze, at our shoes.
Band interaction is limited to the odd comment here and there, the focus is all on pushing out their wall of sound against a shimmering lightshow backdrop. There are reports that the sound is patchy; it may simply be that the Hall isn’t meant for this level of sound.
During the majestic push/pull sweep of Only Shallow, a vast glitter ball fractures light into a thousand icy splinters, while Bilinda Butcher’s delicate voice recedes and the apocalyptic chorus crashes in and engulfs the entire hall. We genuinely fear for the organ…
Throughout the 90-minute set the band’s growing wall of sound creates a brooding visceral tension, momentarily lifted by a flash of humour when a fan screams, “We love you Kevin!,” to which Shields responds, “I love you too!”.
Other standout highlights include the intensely moody woozy Slow, deliciously distorted and languid, followed by Soon, probably their best ever song (and which became one of Andrew Weatherall’s best ever remixes). The set closes out with You Made Me Realise, with its 4-minute ear-destroying “holocaust” section, ensuring that MBV go down as one of the most memorable, surely the loudest, Teenage Cancer Trust concerts in all of its 26 years.
This year Teenage Cancer Trust has launched Good Energy, an art exhibition and print series at the Royal Albert Hall, running from March 18th to April 9th. The collection captures the visceral, shared experience of live music between artist and fan, positioning the “mosh pit” not as a place of chaos, but as a sanctuary of safety and community. The exhibition features 21 limited-edition silk screen prints, chosen by iconic acts including The 1975, Geese, Fontaines DC, Wolf Alice, Yungblud, Nick Cave, Nia Archives, Keane, Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter, The Big Moon, The Snuts, Courteeners, Bring Me The Horizon, Enter Shikari, Elbow and more. Buy online HERE.
You can donate to the amazing Teenage Cancer Trust charity here or Text RAH10 or RAH20 to 70085 to donate (that’s either £10 or £20 depending on your choice).
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Words by Naomi Dryden-Smith: Louder Than War | Facebook |Twitter | Instagram | portfolio
Photos with thanks to Andy Paradise and LTW’s Paul Grace
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