Tempesst: Live at Village Underground, London | Gig review

16 May 2025 | Written By Antonia Vlad

Tempesst, an alternative indie band, recently had their biggest sold-out gig to date at Village Underground, a music venue made out of recycled shipping containers and four tube carriages, which is dedicated to the underground music scene. 

If blues, psychedelic rock, and vintage road trips are your vibe, you’ve stumbled across the right boy band!

The up-and-coming London-based quartet consists of Aussie twins Toma and Andy Banjanin, Blake Misipeka, and Swiss-American Eric Webber. Their most recent album, Forbidden Fruit, was released last year, alongside two other albums Prisoner of Desire (2023) and Must Be a Dream (2020). They also initiated their own independent record label, Pony Recordings, based in Hackney. 

The act covered some of their most recognised tracks, including the heartfelt ‘Sad Eye,’ the first song I heard when I discovered them last summer, ‘Stranger to You Now,’ and ‘Sunset at Maria’s.’ 

The venue was lit with the band’s hallmark colours of red and dark blue. This somehow emulated a grunge-themed basement concert – a nostalgia that some of us, including myself, haven’t experienced but feel drawn to. 

To a certain extent, Tempesst idealises an artistic, melancholy state of mind. The track ‘Darkness (Into the Light)’ is a prime example with the following lyrics: “If you spend three days alone in shades of blue.”  

With their alluring, rhythmic instrumentals, the band can metaphorically transport you to serenity. Yet the lyrics, at times, reflect religious motifs stemming from the Banjanin brothers’ Christian upbringing in their reserved community in Noosa, Australia. ‘Prisoner of Desire’ suggests potential biblical references and symbolisms, such as psalms, temptation and guilt, and doves which echo peace. 

Each song is a story seen through a different lens, with some more emotionally ardent than others. The creativity embodied by all four band members powerfully conveys raw emotions.

Check out Tempesst on Spotify here.

Follow them on Instagram here.

Check out our blog here.

Follow The Music Mag on Instagram here.

Follow The Music Mag on Facebook here.

Connect with us on Linkedin here.

Check out The Music Mag on TikTok here.

Discover more incredible music with our playlists here.