Unpeople Shake Gloucester to Its Core at Underground Festival
The hype around Unpeople has been building since their debut self-titled 5 track EP released back in 2024. Characterised by heavy, crunchy, catchy riffs, gorgeous harmonies, sing along chorus and hooks you will find difficult to get out of your head, all brought together by lead singer Jake Crawford's raw power vocals, they genuinely blend into something truly unique.
Headlining Gloucester's Underground Festival for their first show of 2026, the band's fear that no one would turn out was well and truly misguided.Anticipation was already high before they even stepped onto the stage. The room was packed, with ample Unpeople shirts on show, making it clear just how much buzz the band had gained. That speaks volumes for a band yet to release their debut album, something which is in the works.
Unpeople sprinkled some of their new material into their set, tracks which will no doubt be feature on their forthcoming album. Confirmed from the setlist, new tracks included ‘Swallow’, ‘Bottle It’ and ‘Kangareuben’. The reaction to these was just as strong, with the crowd responding with huge energy, at several points you could genuinely feel the ground shaking beneath your feet. Crucially, the new material still carries that unmistakable Unpeople sound, they were punchy and full of energy. If these new songs are anything to go by, the upcoming album is shaping up to meet and possibly exceed expectations.
They of course included their already released tracks, with the sing-along-ability well and truly on display. Unpeople closed their set with their most well-known track, The Garden, and it felt like the perfect ending. As soon as the opening instrumental kicked in, chants echoed back from the crowd. It sounded like everyone knew the lyrics to the song, creating a huge shared atmosphere.
After their performance ended it is safe to say Unpeople are no longer just a band to watch. They're a band arriving, loud, confident, and impossible to ignore. With a new album on the way, a main stage Download opening set to come, if you get the chance to see Unpeople in small room such as this then make the most of it, you won't be able to for long!
