Get down, to Get Down Services
Two thirty-something, normal blokes from Bristol walk into a bar; the crowd goes wild. Get Down Services are a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon who have captured the hearts of Europe, various Hollywood actors, and Troye Sivan (they were the fifth most-played artist in his Spotify Wrapped). Bristol-based Josh Law and Ben Sadler have broken the mould. Starting out as “just a project", they proclaim they “accidentally fell into music”. Before they were Get Down Services, they worked in cafés together, sold ice cream, and worked as gardeners. Now, they have just completed a nearly sold-out tour across Europe.
Trying to describe a Get Down Services gig is a challenge. It is something that needs to be seen, heard and experienced to be believed. If you see one band in 2026, let it be Get Down Services. Fresh off their three-month tour of Europe, only last week in Germany—on the final leg—their tour bus broke down. On the night of the show, Saturday the 13th, they travelled by train from Brussels. Their dedication is unmatched. The gig took place in a much-loved venue in the heart of Camden, surrounded by punks, tourists and everyone in between, all trying to ride the lingering wave of the 90s Camden popularity. The venue has hosted the likes of Oasis, the Sex Pistols and Blur over the years.
I enjoy smaller venues because they offer the rare opportunity to watch a new band experience some of their first major successes. Usually, these acts are a bit rough around the edges and unpolished, and it is rewarding to see them getting their break. I did not feel this way about the support acts at this gig. Instead, I saw two of the strongest performances of the year from non-headline acts. The stage presence, passion and musical quality were unlike anything I have ever seen from supporting acts on one of their very first tours. Get Down Services have gifted us two bands I will be keeping an eye on, and I will be buying tickets to their London shows next year.
Support act one: Langkamer
This refreshing Bristol-based group, fronted by a drummer-singer with an exceptional sense of rhythm and control, are as enjoyable to watch as it is to listen to. Their single "Crows" will carry my playlists through to the new year. They encapsulate the emotive, angsty sound of the 2010s indie bands everyone secretly yearns for, while adding their own cathartic spin. Indebted to Springsteen, I look forward to seeing them on the festival circuit in the summer of ’26.
Support act two: The Family Battenberg
With a few more pints consumed and a larger audience gathering, the second act of the night entered: The Family Battenberg from South Wales. South Wales is connected by a neat, convenient bridge crossing a body of water; their sound does something similar. Another fresh, Bristol-adjacent band with the intensity of the Stones and the riffs of Tame Impala, they held the audience in a chokehold. Effortlessly cool and slightly angry, they set the night up perfectly with singles "Foggy" and "Gwyllgi" (Welsh for “Dog of Darkness”, a mythical dog of Welsh folklore). The Welsh influence is encouraged and empowering. This band is a force to be reckoned with.
The main event: Get Down Services
The band entered the stage in Nike basketball shorts and T-shirts, beers in hand. The room was electric. For two men who had just survived a European tour, a van breakdown and the Eurostar from Belgium, they brought an impressive amount of energy. Their sheer determination to go out with a bang was admirable.
One thing to note about Get Down Services: audience participation is non-negotiable, and those who do not participate will be shamed. Their lyrics—from the hit single "Crisps"—though immature at times (“I get busy drinking fizzy drinks, I love it”; “I only eat sugar on the weekends”), bring grown men out of their shells and send a crowd of young London professionals into a frenzy. A personal favourite of mine is their 2024 track "Caesar"; the bass is hypnotising.
The gift of Get Down Services lies in their well-produced, electric sound paired with ridiculous lyrics that leave audiences cackling. “Harry Styles called, he’s asking for a merger” never fails to please. Their penultimate song marked a pause from the usual high-energy chaos: an acoustic cover of "I Wish It Didn’t Bother Me" that brought exhausted, overwhelmed audience members to tears. The audience’s emotions were wrapped firmly around the performers’ fingers.
The gig ended with their most popular song, "Dog Dribble", snapping the room out of its brief calm. The crowd erupted. I was soaked in warm beer (I hope it was beer). With every hit of bass, I was shoved in a new direction. Crushed ribs and black eyes—worth it.
Everyone in that audience was part of a new wave of music: not promoted on TikTok, not backed by major labels, but propelled by ordinary people who resonate deeply with it.
Everyone left that night sticky, sweaty and euphoric. I do not think the smell of beer will come out of my fur coat any time soon. Get Down Services have certainly made their mark, and I cannot wait until they are back in London.
