Crawlers at Mad Cool is a heartfelt flex from a band who’ve never looked more brilliant

The band might not be those scrappy hopefuls any longer, but Crawlers are still determined to make everyone at their gigs feel part of something bigger.

Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Frances Beach.

Crawlers made a name for themselves as plucky emo underdogs. Thanks to their cathartic viral hit Come Over (Again), the band quickly found themselves on festival main stages and supporting the likes of My Chemical Romance in stadiums with just a single, four-track EP to their name.

They made the absolute most of every opportunity though, with all that ambition, desire and drive bringing scores of people into their rapidly crystallising world. They always felt like a band to believe in, with 2024’s debut album The Mess We Seem To Make backing up all that early promise and then some.

Tonight at Mad Cool Festival, Crawlers are a band evolved. All that scrappiness has become fierce determination, with the band delivering a swaggering late-night set that’s nothing short of spectacular. From the opening hammer of I Don’t Want It to the snarling Hit It Again, the band’s theatrical rock & roll has a real heft to it, with the band leaning into the drama of it all. Kiss Me is soaring burst of hope and connection before a ferocious Fuck Me (I Didn’t Know How To Say) finds community in pain. The sneering Messiah is as explosive as they come.

“I’m not Beyoncé but I can fucking try,” grins vocalist Holly Minto after dedicating the hammering I End Up Alone to the single ladies in the crowd. Sure, Crawlers’ music is a world away from Beyoncé’s, but there’s a smirking pop edge in everything they do. Set alongside all that rage, tenderness and hope, it makes for a deliciously powerful set. The band might not be those scrappy hopefuls any longer, but Crawlers are still determined to make everyone at their gigs feel part of something bigger. Tonight’s commanding show at Mad Cool is a heartfelt flex from a band who’ve never looked more brilliant.