Less than a week after reviewing their second album 25 Forever, I was off to see CHROMA live- this time at yet another London venue I had somehow never stepped foot in, despite my constant gig-going. Discovering a new venue is honestly almost as exciting as discovering new music, and this time it was The Old Blue Last, a pub close to Liverpool Street with a small, intimate room upstairs.
It’s these kinds of venues that are always my favourite- no barriers, up close and personal, and usually a much friendlier, more connected atmosphere than you get in bigger spaces. There’s something about it that immediately makes a gig feel more communal, like everyone’s part of the same moment rather than just watching it.
Even before CHROMA took to the stage, the vibe was being carefully set. The music playing between bands felt like a subtle nod to their influences. Starting with the likes of Loose Articles and Problem Patterns, before shifting into pop territory with Taylor Swift and Spice Girls, and eventually landing on the most obvious comparison point: Paramore. It felt intentional, like a sonic breadcrumb trail leading right to CHROMA’s sound.
When the band came on, the stage was bathed in moody greens and purples, adding an atmospheric edge that suited their sound perfectly. They kicked things off with ‘What!’ the same explosive opener from 25 Forever and it immediately set the tone. From that moment on, the energy didn’t really dip.
The set was a well-balanced mix of both albums, with a strong focus on 25 Forever, but plenty of love given to their debut Ask for Angela too. It felt like a band confidently bridging where they’ve come from with where they are now.
One of my personal highlights was ‘Don’t Mind Me’, which felt like a real moment of connection in the room. The chorus “Don’t mind me, I’m just having a breakdown” seemed to hit collectively- one of those moments where you realise just how many people in the room are carrying similar feelings. There was something oddly comforting about that shared understanding.
Another standout was ‘Straight Men’, my favourite from the new album. Live, it felt even more powerful especially for the women in the audience who, you could sense, weren’t just listening but feeling every word. It turned into one of those unspoken moments of solidarity that gigs like this do so well.
Throughout the set, CHROMA proved themselves to be not just a great studio band, but a genuinely compelling live act. Their sound feels like what might happen if Paramore, Gossip and The Cure were thrown into a room together with the addition of Katie Hall’s distinctively sweet yet powerful Welsh vocal tying it all together.
By the end, it didn’t feel like I’d just watched a band play it felt like I’d been part of something shared. And in a venue like that, that’s exactly what you want.
Setlist:
What!
Don’t Wanna Go Out
Riverhouse
Don’t Mind Me
Girl’s Talk
Life Hack
Coalminer’s Granddaughter
25 Forever
Matching Tattoos
Straight Men
I Wanna be Where You Are
See CHROMA live on the following dates:
Friday 1st May- All Roads Festival, Glastonbury
Saturday 9th May- Focus Wales, Wrexham
Saturday 30th May-Nice and Sleazy, Glasgow
25 Forever is out now and you can get buy it here
CHROMA socials: Facebook | Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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