K! Pit Presents: South Arcade
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
The Kerrang x Monster Energy ‘K! Pit’ series of live shows take some of the scene's biggest bands and puts them in a hot, sweaty dive bar with a handful of their biggest fans, and the end result is a chaotic, intimate show every time without fail. It makes for the most unforgettable experience for both the band and fans.
After watching live footage of these shows on YouTube for many years, I was finally lucky enough to be invited down by Monster Energy for my first ever K! Pit show. Oxford’s South Arcade are one of the hottest and fastest rising bands right now, so booking them for Blondies just days before their main stage Download Festival set felt like a no-brainer!
Before the show had even started, every single person had their name checked off the list and was given a lanyard, which made the whole event feel exclusive before even stepping inside. This was my first time attending a show at Blondies and I knew it was going to be intimate, but I walked a few steps into the venue and couldn’t believe that I was about to witness a monster (pun intended) band like South Arcade in a room like this again.
Just to put it into perspective for you, South Arcade’s newly announced ‘Welcome to the Real World’ tour sees them headlining London’s O2 Academy Brixton, a venue that holds 5000 people. That’s quite literally 100 times the size of Blondies! It felt like a throwback to where it all began for South Arcade, and serves as a reminder of how far they’ve come in just a few years!
The show saw the band deliver a 30 minute set with no production or gimmicks, just the band up close and personal with 50 of their biggest die-hard fans. They ditched their huge spray paint cans and the pyro, and simply brought half an hour of straight bangers. The set may seem short in theory but don’t be fooled, in a setting like this it is the perfect length for both the band and crowd to give their all without it getting too hot to handle!
South Arcade made their way through the crowd from the back of the room to get to the tiny stage, and wasted no time kicking things off with ‘HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER’ which turned practically the whole room into a pit from the first notes. This continued with ‘FEAR OF HEIGHTS’ and the crowd’s relentless energy was impressive. I love a pit, but I definitely had to tap out once or twice!
2026 saw South Arcade play arenas with 5 Seconds of Summer, which is of course incredible, but in rooms of that size it can be a struggle to interact with fans. The K! Pit gave them the opportunity to reconnect with their fans again in a way that just isn’t possible at the bigger venues. This included guitarist Harry Winks getting in the pit several times, and frontwoman Harmony Cavelle handing the mic to fans in the front row for songs like ‘SUPERMODELS’ and ‘Stone Cold Summer’.
It felt like the room got louder and rowdier as the songs went on, and ‘SUPERMAN’ even saw one fan crowdsurf to the front, and then back again!
Latest single ‘DEADMEAT’ went down a treat! The whole room seemed to be singing every word despite the track only being released four days prior. Playing ‘DEADMEAT’ at a show like this was definitely full circle for both the band and fans, as many OG fans will remember them playing the track in rooms this size three years ago back when it was just an unreleased demo on the band’s ‘Secret Soundcloud’. It’s definitely a personal favourite, and is also an absolute earworm that I find stuck in my head on a loop constantly!
Of course the set had to end on South Arcade’s huge hit ‘Stone Cold Summer’. The track is a staple of their sets now, especially with their viral videos of them having fans sing parts of the second verse at every show. It’s always such a high energy closer. After the show the band took the time to meet fans, take photos and sign things, giving the whole experience even more of an up-close-and-personal feel.
South Arcade have been on a swift rise for a while now and show no signs of slowing down, so to witness them play a show of this nature is such a rare, special opportunity. It shows exactly why the band are blowing up so quickly. I can’t think of a better first K! Pit and it definitely won’t be my last! Hugely grateful to Monster Energy and Kerrang for having us down for it!
Eager to find out more? Click here to find out more about The K! Pit Series for all the latest news and updates!
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Article By Danni Baker
Exciting stuff with the K! Pit shows! I've always enjoyed the energy and intimacy. Reminds me of the wild antics in Chainsmoker Cat Manga - both bring out the best in everyone involved!