There are few greater joys than going into a show unfamiliar with a support band and leaving with a new addition to your regular listening list. Admittedly, I had never heard of Conquer Divide before attending their slot before New Years Day at Thekla, however, it quickly turned into one of those discoveries, and an important reminder to continue to show up for support acts.
Their set was charged with fierce female energy, radiating confidence and pure enjoyment in their performance from the very first note to an impressively full room. With soaring vocals, crushing riffs, and an undeniable stage presence, Conquer Divide commanded the crowd’s attention for the entirety of their set, proving themselves as a fresh and exciting force to be reckoned with in the scene.
Joined by Spencer from A War Within on tour as their unclean vocalist and bassist, Conquer Divide successfully delivered a dynamic and exciting performance, seamlessly blending intense screams with pitch-perfect melodies from vocalist Kiarely Taylor and hard-hitting instrumentals. Their set was mainly comprised of a showcase of tracks from their 2023 album ‘Slow Burn’, kicking off with ‘Atonement’ which has amassed over 9 million listens on Spotify. Despite this, they did include an earlier track ‘Chemicals’ and their 2025 collaboration with Of Virtue, titled ‘Bad Dreams’ which meant the crowd were treated to a taster of both their past and present musical journey.
Conquer Divide’s set firmly established them in my mind—and likely in the minds of the packed crowd at Thekla that night—as potential frontrunners in the scene. Their razor-sharp musicianship and polished, powerful sound helped them prove they were more than capable of holding the attention of a room from start to finish.
Words: Phoebe Messenger Images: James Crisp
Role: Reviewer
Outside of my day job, I’m a regular gig-goer and have always enjoyed writing articles to fuel the passion even further, whether that be through reviews for live shows or for full albums.
Available for: Gig reviews, album/single reviews and artist interviews.
First attended gig: The first show I bought a ticket to myself was 30 Seconds To Mars supported by Enter Shikari at the Brighton Centre.
First gig reviewed: The first gig I reviewed was a showcase of underground DIY rock acts dubbed ‘Deprestlemania’ at The Victoria in Dalston.
Dream gig: Alice in Chains (Layne era) or Pearl Jam in the 90s
I am a self taught Photographer and an aspiring reviewer.
I have been in and out of bands for the past 15 years and some, so thought it only makes sense to stay in the scene that has been the most important aspect of my life since I can remember, live music.
Available for:
I am available for small gigs, larger concerts, recording sessions and festivals.
First attended gig:
The first proper gig that went to that I can actually remember was Muse supported by a then lesser known Elbow and I think the main reason I remember that is because it was the first big concert that I was allowed to go to with just my friends. Obviously Muse were fantastic by the way.
First gig shot:
Im pretty sure the first gig I shot was for a friends band at a local social club with some sort of £30 Argos camera. You can only imagine the fantastic quality of the shots.
Dream gig:
My dream gig to shoot would most definitely be either Tool, not just because they are amazing but their stage and lighting is magnificent. Or I would love to shoot another one of my favourite bands which is Explosions In The Sky and that’s just because they are incredible.