On Monday night, Hands Like Houses and Broadside kicked off their EU/UK co-headline tour at Prague’s Bike Jesus club, joined by beloved Czech pop punk band Glad For Today as support.
Glad For Today is well known in the Prague music scene, having performed at festivals like Rock for People and opened for huge headlining acts that pass through — and now, they can add Hands Like Houses and Broadside to their list. They opened the evening with their energetic brand of pop punk, perfectly warming up the crowd for the two headliners to come.
Broadside took the stage next, opening with “I Think They Know” from their new album Nowhere, At Last. The alternative pop-rock band immediately won the crowd over, each member bouncing with energy and huge smiles on their faces as they played. In lead singer Ollie Baxxter’s own words, they played a lot of “songs about f*cking”, with the band good-naturedly joking that they were sorry for any young ears in the room.
The first half of their set leaned mostly on newer tracks, with a highlight being “Dead Roses.” Eventually, they threw it back to their early years — Baxxter announced that the next one was an old one, and “if you know it, you’re probably old as f*ck” before launching into our favorite Broadside song of the night, “Coffee Talk.”
The second half of their set incorporated more throwbacks from their 2020 album Into the Raging Sea and 2023’s Hotel Bleu. Throughout the night, the band thanked fans profusely for their time and called out the small circle of moshers that had formed in the center of the room, hyping them up for bringing the energy.
Before “Laps Around a Picture Frame,” they took the opportunity to connect with the audience on a deeper level, dedicating it to anyone who’s ever felt alone in a crowded room, or who’s felt like a stranger among their friends.
The band, who had been upbeat and goofy for their entire hourlong set, closed with “Foolish Believer,” thanking fans once again for showing up and leaving the room with a positive attitude for the rest of the night.
When Australian post-hardcore/alternative rock band Hands Like Houses took the stage, it was a little more dramatic — a feat that’s hard to pull off in a small venue like Bike Jesus. The lights dimmed and fog faded in front of them as they took the stage one by one, with lead singer Josh Raven’s hair falling over his shadowed face as he waited for his cue.
They opened with “Lótus,” the unreleased title track of their new EP set to release May 22. It was a bold choice to open with a song fans couldn’t have known, but the drama of it all hyped the room up anyway. Later in the set, Raven explained that this tour was all about them playing a lot of new music and being creative with it, and that they hoped fans were enjoying themselves as much as the band was — spoiler alert: they were.
After another new track, they threw it back to 2016 with “Perspectives.” By the fourth song, the connection between band and fans was so strong that Raven decided “f*ck it, I’m coming down there,” stepping off the stage and into the crowd. The audience immediately opened a circle for him as he sang, with guitarist Alexander Pearson and bassist Joel Tyrell watching with huge smiles from the front of the stage.
Raven eventually returned to the stage, his vocals absolutely on point for one of the night’s highlights, “Hollow.” They followed it up with a cover of “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak, with fans singing along to every word of their catchy rendition of the classic.
Hands Like Houses continued to interact closely with fans throughout the set, with one fan at the front even asking for a photo right then and there. Raven joked that he was a little busy at the moment, but that they’d talk after the show. He shared that they felt right at home in Prague and they already couldn’t wait to come back before taking a swig from his Pilsner Urquell can.
The second half of their set was a good mix of heavy throwbacks and catchy newer material, with the band’s movement on the stage creating both drama and energy that the crowd immediately returned to them. A mini wall of death even formed towards the end of the set, even though the venue’s space limited the impact.
Hands Like Houses closed out the night with “Heaven,” the perfect song to bring the crowd together one final time.
Overall, Hands Like Houses and Broadside brought us the perfect co-headline tour, each of them playing for about an hour but with very different vibes. Broadside brought a goofy pop-rock vibe that got fans in a good mood for the night to come, while Hands Like Houses brought some drama and heavy-hitting energy that invigorated the room.
Both bands showed an immense amount of gratitude, connecting with the crowd on a personal, human level that’s rare for big acts like these. When Josh Raven entered the crowd at the beginning of Hands Like Houses’ set, he broke the fourth wall and cemented the band’s relationship with Prague fans that still continues, even though the show has already ended.
Hands Like Houses and Broadside’s co-headline tour through Europe has only just begun — there are plenty more opportunities to see them live throughout mainland Europe before they head to the UK for Slam Dunk Festival. Tickets for the remaining dates are available here.
HANDS LIKE HOUSES + BROADSIDE TOUR DATES:
May 15 – Dischingen, DE @ Heavydays Festival*
May 16 – Schweinfurt, DE @ Stattbahnhof
May 17 – Hamburg, DE @ Betty
May 19 – Cologne, DE @ MTC (Hands Like Houses only)
May 20 – Tilburg, NL @ Hall of Fame
May 21 – Paris, FR @ Backstage by the Mill
May 23 – Leeds, UK @ Slam Dunk North*
May 24 – Hatfield, UK @ Slam Dunk South*
*Indicates festival date
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KEEP UP WITH BROADSIDE: Instagram // TikTok // Facebook // X // Spotify // YouTube // Website
