LIVE REVIEW: Keo at O2 Institute, Birmingham

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Five whole months have flown by since the rising, alternative/indie rock four piece, Keo last went on their UK tour. Fast forward five months later and they are selling out huge headline shows all over the UK and Europe.

Having previously performed at O2 Institute 2, in October 2025, the band are now headlining the historic main stage of O2 Institute, which is over double the capacity of the previous stage they performed on.

Although they only have their debut EP ‘Siren’ released which only consists of five songs, it did not stop this Birmingham crowd from backing the band and projecting their voices out to every single lyric. Alongside some of their more iconic and memorable songs which are not yet officially released on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music but can be found on Soundcloud and YouTube.

Support for tonight’s performance was the amazing upcoming alternative rock quartet Tooth, consisting of lead singer Tom Pollock, lead guitarist Ben Ashley, drummer Roy Lowe and bassist Charlie Arnison. They emerged onto the stage where the crowd gave them a warm welcome with applause surrounding the entire room.

Opening their set with their incredible debut single ‘The Age of Innocence’ is one of the best ways to introduce yourself to a crowd. With a raw but high energy performance, Tooth made sure Birmingham remembered their name. To end their set for the first night of the tour supporting Keo, they finished on their recently released single ‘Medicine,’ with beautiful guitar riffs and a heavy drum sound to pair with the voice of Tom Pollock, Tooth walked off stage and the crowd erupted. They made their statement.

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As time went by the crowd were preparing for the main act to walk out, then the lights started to dim, the crowd knew what time it was. Chants of “KEO! KEO! KEO!” spread across the venue and right before our eyes they walked onto the stage and into the spotlight.

Energy exploding from every corner. The band - originally created by brothers Finn and Connor Keogh, with the additions of drummer Oli Spacman and guitarist Jimmy Lanwern - immediately burst out with their iconic hit opener ‘Hands.’ With the crowd engulfed in the display from the moment the first few guitar riffs hit, the band knew they were ascendant.

Next up they debuted their brand new, unreleased song ‘Be Happy’ which had the crowd in absolute awe. Gorgeous guitar notes rang throughout the venue, with catchy lyrics to boot, this was the start of Finn Keogh’s iconic pose.

After the debut of ‘Be Happy’ they jumped straight into their more well-known songs, such as the high-energy unreleased ‘That’s Me’ which had the crowd bouncing up and down. Although this track is unreleased, the hordes of people within the Birmingham stage made it feel as if it had been released for decades. Followed up by the slow paced, unreleased ‘Young’ in which the crowd matched the bands’ liveliness and quality by going word for word the entire song.

Their next song should be no stranger to anyone who has previously listened to Keo or seen them live. As frontman, Finn Keogh, announces the name ‘Thorn’ the crowd erupts with screams surfacing around the entire venue. As the opening guitar riffs spread across O2 Institute, the audience did not disappoint whilst harmonising with those same guitar riffs; coming together as one as the iconic lyrics are belted out in unison. The Birmingham crowd takes over as the band stops playing midway through to admire the mob belting the heart-rending lyrics even louder than the band themselves.

The band then took it down a notch, as the lights dimmed, all of the spotlight shined over Finn. The intro to ‘Spaceman’ began while Conor synchronised bass and drummer Oli drove this song all the way to the end with his fluctuating drum pattern. The crowd was left in absolute astonishment.

Keo’s rise over the past year, whilst only having their Debut EP ‘Siren’ currently released, has been astonishing to say the least. Having made waves all over social media with their different sounds, their dedicated fans from around the world are only going to help propel them even further.

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Next in line for the show was a question asked by Finn Keogh as he was handed his acoustic guitar. “Stolen Cars or Kind, If You Will?”, immediately the crowd erupted with chants of ‘Stolen Cars’ and they did not disappoint as they delivered a perfect 10/10, heartbreaking performance.

The band exited the stage to prepare for their last few songs, chants of “KEO! KEO! KEO!” echoing all around the venue. When they returned to the stage, Finn knelt down towards the crowd, getting up close and personal as they covered ‘The End’ by The Doors. This moment will be remembered by many people, creating a truly beautiful core memory for the lucky fans who managed to get to the front.

Their set was wrapped up with their astounding debut single ‘I Lied Amber’, a song that has absolutely shot them straight to the top. It was the perfect ending to a perfect show. A moment I’m sure the band and the crowd will never forget.

After the performance in the midlands, I think it’s safe to say Keo are on their way to becoming UK’s next greatest band.

Photography: @hans_c_a_m

Article: Jenson Campbell / jenno.on.tour