There was little fanfare or gaps between songs in the Rescue Rooms show
14:04, 15 Jan 2026
The Molotovs are a band that seem to be growing incredibly fast.
The last time the pair of teenage Londoners took to a Nottingham stage, they played a sell-out show to 200-odd people at the legendary Bodega on a Friday night in June.
Just over half-a-year later and they are playing to a crowd double-the-size on a cold January night at Rescue Rooms.
Yet, only minutes into the brother-and-sister duo's set on Tuesday (January 13), it was easy to see why they've managed to make music fans both young and old stop in their tracks.
The Molotovs are back on the road to promote their new album, Wasted on Youth, which will be released at the end of the month.
It's no doubt a proud moment for mod-lovers Mathew and Issey Cartlidge, who, for the past few years, have had hardly any songs on streaming sites like Spotify, and instead got a name for themselves relentlessly gigging across the UK.
Walking out to a packed-out crowd, the siblings approach their microphones as vocalist and guitarist Mat, only 17 years old, briefly murmers: "It's good to be back Nottingham," before getting straight into the swing of things.
And just like that, the show's begun. There's little fanfare or gaps between songs to allow for sentimental messages to the crowd.
But instead, fantastic melodies, harmonies and infectious basslines via Issey, who is two year's Mathew's senior.
The siblings - joined by a touring drummer - play with such fullness and range, you could close your eyes and forget there's not a four-piece band on the stage.
But there's no time to blink as The Molotovs bounce from track-to-track with the swagger of a band who have been in the game for a decade, rather than a group still yet to release an album.
The fast and punk-fuelled cover of David Bowie's Suffragette City and the as-of-yet unreleased title track of the upcoming LP were among the highlights during the hour-or-so show.
It's commonplace to assume a band growing at such a pace as The Molotovs might find themselves on a bigger stage - such as Rock City's - on their next tour date in Nottingham.
But after the brilliance witnessed at Tuesday's show, I'm sure the duo could be selling out Motorpoint Arena in no time.
George is a trainee reporter at Nottinghamshire Live, a role he's had since March 2025. He previously spent three months at the company in summer 2024 as an Editorial Intern, before working at local news channel Notts TV for eight months on their pathway scheme. He covers general news across the city, with his main areas of interest and expertise spanning local politics, arts and culture, charities and reporting on underrepresented communities. Outside of work, you can often find him at a gig.