Instigators / Fantazmaz / Quick Romance at the 100 Club

INSTIGATORS / FANTAZMAZ / QUICK ROMANCE at the 100 Club, London, 21 AUGUST 2026

Instigators at the 100 Club for the first time in about forty years, and if that’s not enough they chose a couple of the best up and coming bands right now as their support.

Quick Romance hail from the West Country and take no notice of an early evening start as they get the place rocking. They have a stage presence beyond their young years. Guitarist Hayden James roams the stage like he regularly needs to check on each corner, darting behind singer Matilda Scotland. She has a touch of Poly Styrene about her vocals and it’s all very energetic rock’n’roll. Heck, there’s even a song called ‘Brian Jones’s Hair’. Her hat nearly stole the show though, with it’s ‘Randy Scouse Git’ and other amusing badges.

Fantazmaz have no shortage of head gear or energy either. Singer Thami is a blizzard of movement despite a very large fake fur hat. In fact the band have all four cylinders firing as they blast through each song with the feeling as if it’s their last. I feel like I’ve had a work out just watching them. At the back of the stage I spy Jamie Oliver on the drums, he gets around a bit, they boy! Another great live band, will Instigators make it 3 out 3?

Of course they do. This is the third time I’ve seen them since they reformed in 2025 and they get tighter and better each time. Certainly singer Andy Turner seems more animated tonight, finding his groove and keeping his vocals on point through what is a very decent length set. The whole band is top drawer but it’s always guitarist Simon Mooney who steals the show. Instigators have never been short of a riff but here they come thick and fast. Choppy rhythms in ‘Computerage’, straight speed in ‘The Fix’ and the bass driven ‘Full Circle’ are in a set that pulls heavily on the earlier releases but has plenty of later cuts too. Still no ‘Disorder by Design’, though this was probably near the end of the first run when it was only Andy left from the line up on display tonight. They’re still a great band, so good to have them back and more than holding their own against the best of the new crop.