Written by Cameron Wyatt

Last Wednesday, Monster Florence welcomed what was, in their words, their biggest ever show at Village Underground. Performing in front of the packed out Shoreditch venue, the Colchester-based collective brought a raw, passionate energy that will stick with them as much as it will the fans.

STATE (OF U) was the first song of the show, which instantly shot the crowd into the vibe that was to come, and served as the perfect opener. Bringing high energy and showcasing the artistic diversity shared amongst the group, each member brought something entirely different to the table than the other. Listening to Monster Florence is one thing, but watching the strong chemistry the group have built since they formed back in the mid 2010’s is amazing to see in a live capacity, and speaks volumes about their rise over recent years.

Throughout the show, the group were amazing at keeping engaged with the crowd, whether that was sharing personal news & giving praise to the fans, or getting the crowd involved in the songs themselves & bouncing off one another. This was showcased through a great selection of their discography, ranging from classics like ‘Deck of Cards’, ‘Borstal’ & ‘Peepin’’, to newer releases, such as ‘TOOTHSKIN’, ‘PINKY’ & ‘URGH’. Whether it was a lesser or more popular song being performed was irrelevant, as the engagement with the crowd meant the show was top tier throughout.

Photography by James Kelly

We caught up with Wallace (Vocalist) and Alex (Vocalist) after the show to speak to them about the gig, as well as the celebrations surrounding the release of their recent EP, ‘PETTY CASH AND CHANGE’, following on from 2025’s ‘PETTY CASH’.

Speaking about the influences behind the new EP, Monster Florence described a shift towards something more personal and instinctive. Wallace mentioned that for their latest project, the group had “tapped more into the indie bag.” But ultimately the main inspiration is coming from real life events and things that they had been through, leading to a natural evolution for the band. Alex continued the same sentiment, emphasising that the group have always been “unashamedly ourselves and honest to ourselves,” with this release emerging as a particularly “raw and honest project” built around whatever simply felt and sounded right in the moment.

That rawness and honesty is a theme for Monster Florence, and something that will have only grown during their time together as a group. Alex touched on this when speaking about how they’ve evolved together, mentioning that it’s a ‘continuous journey’. They have 6 people who all have very different musical influences, but that each year that goes by, the closer they get, and the more refined they’ve made their sound. This is something which allows them to connect better as a group, and ultimately dictates the process of their songwriting and production. When discussing this, Wallace expressed “the biggest dream wins”. The group makes sure there’s no egos present throughout the process, and they know when to step aside to allow another member to excel on a certain song. Whether that’s between Wallace, Alex and Dream on vocals, or between musicians Cameron, Tom and Jonny.

Circling back to the concert, we asked Alex and Wallace about their experience of the show, and you could feel the sense of pride and joy they had in that moment. Wallace told us it was their best ever show, and that “2nd doesn’t come anywhere close”, highlighting how emotional and proud they were throughout. The group are self-managed and self-produced, and this show was the biggest they’d put on so far, and for it to be in a city that, in their words, “feels like home”, was something special, both for Monster Florence and everyone present.