Article and photos by Polly Lambert
I’m lying in bed on my phone, having just made the journey back from a year at uni in Liverpool. My mind feels numb with that flat, sinking feeling—my band, Snatch, won’t have another gig until September as we all split off to our hometowns for the summer.
Then a notification from Zak, our lead guitarist, lights up my screen:
We’ve been offered to support The Molotovs at ARC in Liverpool next week. Are we in?”
Where would we stay? We haven’t rehearsed. Will we have enough room in the car for everyone and our kit? Can we afford a practice room? It’s a five-hour drive away… No way. A logistical nightmare.
“I’ll drive,” I text back.
Next thing I know, Zak and I are driving from London to Liverpool, meeting Isaac (drums) and Will (bass) in Manchester the night before the gig. We savour the contrast—tea with Will’s family before preparing ourselves for the coming night of punk, pints, and rock ’n’ roll.
Who are the Molotovs?
The Molotovs are an explosive, genre-fusing revival of 1960s Mod, late 1970s punk and early 1980s New Wave. Influenced by the likes of The Jam, The Who, Green Day and the Sex Pistols.
They began as a brother-sister duo—Mathew (lead vocals & guitar) and Issey Cartlidge (bass & vocals)—busking in London during the 2020 lockdowns. By 2022, at just 14 and 16, they were already playing major festivals like Cornbury, blowing away audiences with their punk energy and explosive performances. . Their determination and work ethic have skyrocketed their profile, racking up over 500 live shows by 2025. They’ve supported legends like The Libertines, Blondie, Adam Ant, and Green Day.
Uniquely, the Molotovs didn’t release any music on streaming platforms, growing their following purely through live performances—an approach that arguably suited their DIY punk aesthetic. As a result, they left fans hungry for their highly anticipated debut single and music video, “More More More,” released on March 21, 2025, after the band signed with Marshall Records in January of the same year.
My band was ecstatic to share the stage with The Molotovs back in April at the Jacaranda in Liverpool. It was also my first time seeing them live – I was blown away by their cardio-heavy, energy packed performance. I made a mental note to down a few Red Bulls next time if we ever shared a stage again.
Gig Day at ARC
We arrive at the ARC venue during The Molotovs’ soundcheck, sweaty and relieved to find shelter from the 28-degree sun. Our soundcheck goes smoothly—until Zak’s guitar suddenly gives out. With our spare guitar 200 miles away, Matt walks in and, like a halo-lit saviour, offers his own guitar for Zak to borrow. We thank him profusely.
Between soundcheck and doors I catch Issey and Matt for a quick chat.
“How have you become so natural on stage?” I ask. “Has it always been like that?”
Matt responds with emphasis on the importance of naturalism. “No, it’s deffo really just that we practice with it, you know? You don’t stand in front of the mirror or anything like that… Just take it as it comes. It’s just one of them things—it either comes to you or it doesn’t.”
“How you move on stage—it’s not choreography or anything… It’s just how you do it when you’re playing the guitar or whatever when you’re moving to that sort of music.”
As another female musician, I’ve always looked up to Issey’s magnetic presence and charismatic confidence. “Can you think of anyone you like to try to embody on stage when you’re feeling nervous? Or do you feel completely yourself up there?”
Issey responds “yeah just a part of yourself, maybe not one you can see or show to the surface normally, but when you’re on stage you can just… disconnect from the majority of yourself and find that fragment you maybe want to… enlarge and show”
“Like a part of yourself you don’t always see, but is unlocked in you onstage?” I add.
‘Yeah – when you’re off guard,’ she nods.
Showtime
5 minutes to go. After downing those necessary redbulls, we gather backstage in the greenroom to steady ourselves. Zak’s hands are shaking—maybe from adrenaline, maybe from the stress of a broken guitar. I can feel the collective nerves and our already sweaty foreheads..
We step out on stage. Zak counts me in. The late-setting sun lights up the faces of the crowd. I spot Issey cheering us on from stage right. That first roar of applause is all we need. The next 30 minutes fly by in a blur. I glance at my bandmates—eyes wired, smiles wide, clothes soaked in sweat. We’re buzzing.
The Molotovs Take the Stage
After cooling off with drinks at the bar, we join the crowd for The Molotovs’ set. Their reputation holds up—every moment is electric. I struggle to take a single unblurred photo. Even drummer Noah Riley looks like he can hardly stay seated—I’m sure he’s about to rip through the kick drum. He even showed me the shredded, tattered drumsticks he’s managed to whittle through over the past couple shows in the greenroom after the show. No surprise – I thought the cymbal would shatter.
Matt and Issey command the stage, not a second feels flat. The two young boys we saw bouncing at the front during our set are still dancing and yelling their lungs out, but even their wild energy was effortlessly drowned out by Matt’s booming vocals, soaring guitar riffs and Issey’s groovy basslines.
Watching the Molotovs headline set reminded me that they aren’t merely invoking audiences with nostalgia but are redefining it with a fresh and modern twist on the genres of previously beloved decades. The crowds are an eclectic mix of ages and backgrounds, from true Mods and Rockers reliving their glory days avid to watch a revival of the music of their youth, as well as new-gen musicians like Tige Burns and James Miller from The Sukis scoping out Liverpool’s buzzing music scene. The Molotovs even invited the two young fans from before backstage, letting them play on Matt’s guitar and gifting them signed setlists.
Despite having played three consecutive nights, The Molotovs left nothing behind on that stage. Every drop of sweat, every ounce of energy was spent. We shared pints and praises on the street – grinning, exhausted, satisfied. Cooling down from the heat and the unmatched feeling of performing. Only later did I learn they were playing in Nottingham the very next night.
I’ll never complain about being too tired for a gig again.
An unrepeatable night—so worth the drive.
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