HOT MILK – BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE, 20 NOVEMBER 2025

BY SHARI BLACK VELVET

With their second full-length studio album, ‘Corporation P.O.P’, released in June, a whistle-stop Hot Milk tour of the UK was, naturally, in order. After gracing Glasgow and London with their presence, the band then headed to Birmingham before a fourth and final hometown show in Manchester.

Warning sirens signal the band’s arrival onto the O2 Institute stage before ‘Hell Is On Its Way’, rather aptly, opens the show. The room is lit red. A pounding drum beat by Harry Deller lays the foundation, Tom Paton’s bass adds pulsing, cavernous tones, before vocalist/guitarist Han Mee exposingly sings, ‘Aren’t you scared to death? It’s just a button press. We’re atomised, cauterised in a bloodbath.’ The socially/politically-inspired lyrics are stark truths of today’s world. Co-vocalist/guitarist Jim Shaw takes over the vocals, divulging, ‘Their violent fantasy. We are the victims of irony.’ Han Mee, who studied politics at university, has said that she’s very impacted by the world’s issues and this, naturally, comes out in the band’s music. New album, ‘Corporation P.O.P’, particularly, poses many thoughts and feelings about the UK and world in general, and tonight’s show (and tour, in general) includes quite a number of songs from the new album.

But, while the subject matter is serious, a Hot Milk show is a delight to be at, and Han tells the crowd, "We’re forgetting about the world out there for one night only." 

Older songs such as ‘I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD’ incite a loud singalong, ‘Sunburn From Your Bible’ sees a mighty moshpit and ‘Glass Spiders’ creates a wave of crowd surfers. Jim and Han take turns singing the lyrics to songs, which is just one of the many reasons that Hot Milk are a little bit special. Jim plays a short riff before ‘Bad Influence’ (from 2022’s ‘The King And Queen Of Gasoline’ EP), which gets a big cheer from the crowd. Jim starts the vocals on this song. Both Jim and Han’s vocals are impressively powerful. They both effortlessly sing melodically, and, then, caustically seethe and scream when needed. Han spouts ‘Oggy Oggy Oggy’ to get the crowd’s response of ‘Oi Oi Oi’. She could easily be the offspring of Joan Jett and shares her punk attitude. 

We’re told that ‘Candy Coated Lie$’, which the band released over five years ago, has been revamped, as Han falls out of love with things quickly, so they now have a new version of the song. The newly-darkened, less sugary, fan favourite receives a great reaction. Han’s vocals at the end of the song hit the bullseye and the final electronic notes seal the deal. 

“Are you sweating from places you’ve never sweat before?” asks Han, after the scintillating ‘HORROR SHOW’. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to get emotional.” She reveals that ‘BREATHING UNDERWATER’ was “When I was the most upset I’ve ever been in my life.” She invites the audience to light up the room with their phone lights. Tom and Harry leave the stage for Han and Jim to perform the majority of the song acoustically on their own, at the back of the stage. The heartfelt gem is a highlight of the show, especially with the input of the crowd’s singing at end of the song.  

Other favourites from 2023’s ‘A Call To The Void’ album, ‘BLOODSTREAM’ and ‘OVER YOUR DEAD BODY’ are vibrant and resplendent, while newer number ‘Asphyxiate’ is so poignant it gets a couple of girls sitting up on the shoulders of their partners, above the rest of the audience. Jim’s powerful lengthy vocal notes leave an impact at the end. 

An encore sees Jim sing a few lines of the emo ‘Sympathy Symphony’ before the rest of the band return to the stage. “Let’s exorcise the rest of the demons in us. Are you ready to party on your deathbed?” Han asks, before the song of the same title. The song goes down a storm. 

With ‘Chase The Dragon’ ending the show, including the lyrics ‘I’m sending my love back to you’, this is exactly what we and the crowd do. Hot Milk deserve so much love – and they definitely get it from us.