Last night, grandson brought his special brand of protest music to Prague‘s SaSaZu club as part of his INERTIA World Tour, giving fans a safe space to get out all the anger they’re feeling about the current state of the world and inspiring them to keep fighting for a better future. He was joined by British progressive metal band VOWER.
VOWER took the stage as the room continued to fill up, immediately bringing the energy with their signature brand of progressive metal. Having only been active since 2023, VOWER has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the most popular new bands in their genre. It was only their second night on tour supporting grandson, but they certainly hyped the crowd up with their mix of harsh and clean vocals from lead singer Josh McKeown and heavy-hitting instrumental breakdowns.
Between sets, the room filled to the brim with excited fans — some had even painted their faces with black X’s to match grandson’s logo.
grandson took the stage with a huge smile, opening with “AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOT” from his newest album, INERTIA, even bringing out a small cardboard prop meant to represent the title’s namesake.
He launched directly into “BURY YOU” and his sarcastic, fan-favorite single “We Did It!!!”, never pausing for a moment. His dynamic energy sent the room careening into chaos as he moved to the music and bounced across the stage, and you could hear a chorus of voices already singing along.
After he’d warmed up, he took some time to address the crowd directly, telling us it was his first time playing in Prague as an independent artist. Much to fans’ delight, he announced that they would be playing INERTIA in full along with some older grandson classics. He also implored the audience to show empathy for each other, stressing that this was a safe space to be yourself, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or skin color. He continued, adding “if you have hate in your heart, the rest of us will have no problem kicking you the f*ck outta here,” which was met with roaring cheers from the crowd.
Between his music and his brief speech, he succeeded in establishing a tight community at Prague’s SaSaZu. He had even taken the time to prepare a few phrases in Czech dissing certain political parties and politicians, winning over the crowd and reinforcing his mission to fight against corruption and greed around the world.
Now that fans knew what they were in for, people went all out as they danced, moshed, and screamed along. The first few seconds of each song were met with loud cheers — there wasn’t a single song that wasn’t an absolute banger.
The middle of the set was a mix of INERTIA songs and beloved blasts from the past, with the crowd going particularly wild for “Darkside,” “Overdose,” and “LITTLE WHITE LIES” before the pit opened up wider than it had all night for “SELF IMMOLATION.” Between grandson’s energy and the light show paired with the heavy breakdowns, this was a highlight. grandson had encouraged fans to get all their anger out, and everyone took the opportunity to do exactly that.
grandson’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “MASTERS OF WAR” hit especially hard, and grandson’s anger was palpable as he let the music move him. His emotion and passion bled into the crowd, and through “BRAINROT” and the next few songs, it was clear that audience and performer were trading energy, giving each other just as much as they were taking.
After a heavy show thus far, grandson gave his band a break as he stepped to center stage on his own with an electric guitar, saying it was time for a sad song. He let fans know that in today’s day and age, with all the AI and social media and constant barrage of bad news, we need creativity, art, and empathy now more than ever. He encouraged us to keep creating, to keep showing up, to keep fighting, and promised that it does get better. He dedicated the song to anyone who’s no longer here.
“Heather” may have been the slowest song of the night, but it was a powerful emotional moment shared by everyone in that room. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the end, including both ours and grandson’s. That brief moment of vulnerability mixed with all that anger cemented the connection between him and the crowd, leaving everyone ready for more.
When the band re-entered the stage, he “rolled the credits” a little early, introducing each band member who had been absolutely ripping it on their instruments all night. At one point, the guitarist and the bassist had even been sent into the crowd for a breakdown, a circle pit forming around them. grandson also expressed his gratitude to the fans, letting us know he sees himself coming back to play shows in Prague for a long time.
He brought the energy back up with “YOU MADE ME THIS WAY” and the final song before the encore, “Blood // Water.” This hit rang through the venue, but we clearly weren’t done yet.
After a few minutes of relentless cheering and clapping, grandson came back onstage asking if we wanted one more song. He continued to tease the crowd, using his fingers to hold up the number 2. The cheering grew louder as fans asked for 3, with grandson incredulously holding 3 up with his hands and shaking his head no, but his third finger popped back up. Finally, he took the mic and announced that they had 3 songs left before launching into “WWIII.”
The 3-song encore took everything the crowd had left, with “Riptide” and “Stick Up” being perfect closers. Once they finished, grandson hopped off the stage and crossed back and forth in front of the barricade, high-fiving and hugging fans and even accepting gifts before hopping back up for one final wave.
Simply put: we have never experienced anything like this grandson show before. He took the concert to the next level, creating a collaborative experience where everyone could get involved and he was right there in the emotional trenches with us, whether he was performing a song or encouraging us to be fully ourselves. The political rage in that room, from grandson as well as from the crowd, was palpable, and it was so comforting to know that none of us are alone even during the bleak times we’re currently living in.
The music itself was also flawless — an impressive feat as he only slowed it down for one song during an almost 2-hour set. Each breakdown hit harder than the last, the vocals were raw with emotion, and grandson’s energy throughout was confident, genuine, and infectious.
After this show, we not only feel more connected to a community than we did before, but we also feel more hopeful for the future. grandson made us feel empowered to channel that rage within us and put it to good use out there in the world — to show empathy, to fight against hate, and to stand up against injustice. And we think that’s what music should do: inspire people to keep fighting for what they believe in. As fans left sweaty, exhausted, and smiling, we’re sure they were all feeling the same way.
If you haven’t seen grandson live yet, we can’t recommend it enough. Luckily, you still have a chance: his EU/UK tour continues through March 7. Remaining tickets are available here.
Remaining INERTIA EU/UK tour dates:
13/02 – Vienna, AT – Gasometer#
14/02 – Budapest, HU – Barba Negra#
16/02 – Zagreb, HR – Tvomica Kulture#
18/02 – Milan, IT – Magazzini Generali*
19/02 – Lausanne, CH – Les Docks*
20/02 – Zurich, CH – X-TRA*
21/02 – Wiesbaden, DE – Schlachthof*
23/02 – Paris, FR – La Cigale*
24/02 – Cologne, DE – E-Werk*
26/02 – Manchester, UK – Academy*
28/02 – Birmingham, UK – 02Institute*
01/03 – Bristol, UK – Electric Bristol*
02/03 – London, UK – 02 Forus Kentish Town*
03/03 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 Galvanizers*
05/03 – Bucharest, RO – Quantic
07/03 – Sofia, BG – Pirotska 5
*with pinkshift
#with VOWER
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Follow VOWER: Instagram // Spotify // YouTube // Facebook
