Ho99o9 and N8NOFACE Live at The Dome
Truth be told, this show gave me one of the strongest urges I’ve had in years to drop everything and dive headfirst into the mosh pit. Seeing Ho99o9 live for the first time on their EU/UK tour with N8NOFACE felt long overdue, years of anticipation snapping into place, and they didn’t just meet expectations, they tore straight through them.
The opening act was N8NOFACE. I had never listened to his music before and chose to arrive without expectations, hoping to be surprised. That decision paid off. His set was strange, unpredictable and completely unrestrained in a way that quickly caught my attention. His sound sits somewhere around synth-punk, with nervous electronic beats and rough, distorted synth lines. At moments, it recalled Kino’s ‘Gruppa Krovi’ and other synth-focused songs from that era, as well as the cold new-wave and post-punk atmosphere of Molchat Doma. These influences blended into something that still felt personal rather than nostalgic. By the end of the performance, I realised how strongly it pulled me back toward the kind of music I used to listen to obsessively. Now I’m hooked on the album ‘As Of Right Now’, and more specifically, the cringe-worthy gem I’ve been spinning on repeat: ‘Waiting to Wait for You’.
The Triple 9s have been high on my must-see list ever since the release of their debut studio album ‘United States of Horror’, and hearing their material live only confirmed why. The setlist hit hard, with the band’s evolution obvious as the room filled with moshers screaming along. The Dome’s no-barrier setup provided room for total chaos as usual, blurring the line between band and crowd as Yeti tore back and forth between the stage and the pit, stage-diving, crowd surfing and yelling from the heap of bodies.
'Tomorrow We Escape’ is an album that lingers, at least for me. That comes not only from the music but from the full creative direction behind it. The production feels immersive without sounding overly polished and Nick Fancher’s artwork completes the atmosphere, adding another layer to a release that already feels focused and deliberate.
When the set seemed to end, the room hesitated. For a moment, it sounded like everyone was asking the same question, chanting for more into the quiet. It then became clear that a technical issue had interrupted the flow and some people began to assume the show was finished. Just as that uncertainty settled in, the problem was fixed and the band returned quickly for an encore with ‘Godflesh’, ‘Get a Grip’ and ‘Bone Collector’. Each track reignited the pit, sending the crowd back into motion and closing the night with the same intensity that had carried the set from the beginning.
What stayed with me most wasn’t a single song or moment, but the reminder of how physical and immediate live music can feel when everything connects at once. After years of waiting to see Ho99o9 in this setting, the result felt fully justified — messy in the right ways, loud without restraint and impossible to experience passively. It was the kind of show that follows you home, ringing in your ears long after the venue empties.
