Live Review: Westside Cowboy - Scala, London 28/01/2026
Mancunian four-piece Westside Cowboy continue galloping towards success, kicking off their 2026 tour with a fully sold-out show in London’s Scala.
Since the release of their debut single I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You) towards the end of 2024, there has been a consistent buzz around Westside Cowboy, one that has continued to get louder throughout all of 2025. From securing a record deal, the release of their debut EP This Better Be Something Great, to sets at renowned festivals such as Glastonbury and End Of The Road, Westside Cowboy spent the majority of last year proving why they were everyone’s favourite newcomers. Releasing a stellar second EP, So Much Country ‘Till We Get There, at the beginning of January and a fully sold-out UK and Ireland tour ahead of them, the Manchester four-piece shows absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Continuing to ride on a trajectory that appears only to be going up, Westside Cowboy kicked off their tour with a sold-out show at London’s Scala on Wednesday night. The crowd squeezed themselves into every available corner and crevice of the beloved London venue, keen to catch a glimpse of the band who are known for their live performances - their self-coined sound “Britainicana” coming to life when the foursome are on stage, an amalgamation of country, alt-rock and folk. Anyone wondering how Westside Cowboy have achieved so much success in such a short period should see them live, as the proof really is in the pudding.
Opening with a cover of the instrumental Midnight Cowboy, their individual skill and talent across instruments come together perfectly, forming a perfect unit. There’s a chorus of cheers as drummer Paddy Murphy yells “Westside Cowboy” into his mic, the crashing of drums and fuzzy guitars marking the start of I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You). It feels intimate and vulnerable almost immediately as guitarist and vocalist Rueben Haycocks serenades the crowd, “this will work for now…but that type of luck don’t happen to blokes like me” before bassist Aoife Anson O’Connell joins in with her own soft, haunting vocals that perfectly complement Haycocks’. Despite being a band still very much in their infancy, their sound is honed to perfection, and the precision, the skill and the chemistry between the quartet make it seem as if they have been doing this for decades.
Alright Alright Alright is joyous, chaotic, a bone-rattling track, with a subtle ode to Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues as guitarist James “Jimmy” Bradbury sings “since I was a young boy, my mother told me son don’t ever run around and don’t ever play with guns.” With bleeding guitars and a foot stomping rhythm, the crowd's heads and feet move in sync as they try to keep up with the ruckus on stage. Alright Alright Alright is refreshing, it’s all charm, the sound of a young band still experimenting, figuring out how their talents can work together. It’s easy to imagine them creating this track in someone’s bedroom, a garage, and now suddenly playing it to a packed-out Scala. The band seem to be constantly grinning, never taking themselves too seriously as they laugh through minor technical difficulties, little slip-ups, Haycocks joking with the crowd, “we haven’t played anything in like two months, so sorry if we’re rusty.”
The chemistry between the foursome is palpable, despite them still being freshly formed. Can’t See from their latest EP So Much Country ‘Till We Get There is infectious, all crashing drums and precise, grinding guitars, the push-pull of Haycocks and Anson O’Connell’s vocals as they chant “can’t see but you try”, the crowd joining in with them. The frantic Drunk Surfer feels cathartic for both the band and their audience, as everyone shouts in unison, “you and every bone in my body, you and every bone in my body” over the clash of guitars and drums. Westside Cowboy are a cauldron of talent that’s bubbling over, as they play through their already well-loved discography at a rapid, expertly honed pace. Fan favourite Shells has people swaying on their feet, despite the lack of space, a slow burner of a track before it builds to a crashing crescendo.
Don’t Throw Rocks, the first single from the latest EP, with its wailing guitars and bass, the meticulous drum work from Paddy Murphy and their combined vocals, is a delight to witness live, as is The Wahs. It’s a heavy folk rock track, a flurry of guitars as the group sing together “I’m waiting for a sign / to tell me I’m alive / to tell me I’m alright.” There’s something hopeful and refreshing about the performance of it. Aoife’s vocals are mesmerising in Strange Taxidermy, the slow strum of the guitars behind her, the gentle intro of the snare. It’s a song that feels both heavy and wonderful as Aoife’s haunting vocals float around the venue, “Well, old Billy, I think I do love you / you’ve mastered the passing of time.”
Those who have seen Westside Cowboy before will be familiar with their closing song, In The Morning. It’s stripped of all instruments bar Murphy’s drum as all four of them gather around Aoife’s mic to sing together, “watch this city be the death of me tonight.” It’s perfectly imperfect, with the crowd singing and stomping along with them in unison. It feels somewhat monumental, a celebration of all the band has achieved so far, and what still lies ahead for them.
The sky is very much the limit for Westside Cowboy currently. As the crowd slowly begins to trickle out of Scala, lingering in the energy left over by the Mancunians, it’s hard not to flash back to when they opened End Of The Road Festival last September. A member of the crowd shouting “what a band, what a fucking band” at the end of Westside Cowboy’s set. The statement still rings true today, because really, what a fucking band.
Words by Angela English
Photography by Stefania Mohottigt
