Only The Poets at Oxfords - The Bullingdon
I finally reached Oxford for a live show — not somewhere I’ve been before, but I’d definitely go back after this. Only The Poets blew the roof off The Bullingdon, a 310-capacity high street venue with plenty of charm and surprisingly punchy acoustics. Doors opened at 19:00, and the band hit the stage at 20:15 sharp. No support acts, no filler — just a focused, high-energy set that gave them full control of the night. This Oxford show was part of their “Going Back to Where It Began” tour, a short but meaningful run through Banbury, Reading, Manchester, Southampton, and Birmingham. It’s a nod to their grassroots origins — revisiting the same venues they played on their first tour, and reaffirming their belief that music should be accessible, intimate, and real.
Throughout the show, it was clear how much this meant to them. 2025 has been a breakout year for Only The Poets, and this gig felt like a celebration of everything they’ve built. Their debut album And I’d Do It Again drops January 30th, 2026 — seven years after their inception — and anticipation is sky-high. With sold-out shows lined up across the waters in New York, Los Angeles, and Boston, plus a landmark £1 ticket show at Brixton Academy on February 2nd, they’re proving that emotional indie-pop can still be revolutionary. This is a huge movement for the band and grassroots music. That Brixton gig is more than a concert — it’s a statement. In a time when ticket prices are soaring, Only The Poets are making live music affordable again. It’s the first £1 show in Brixton Academy’s history, and it speaks volumes about their ethos: connection over commerce, community over fame.
On to the show. I arrived at a completely packed Bullingdon, a queue around the corner. Upon entry I make my way to the front. I spy the setlist being taped to the floor as fans eagerly lean over the fence to see what’s in store for them. The setlist was as follows:
Miserable
Mindset
Over & Over
Gone By Now
All This Time
Saké
Emotionally Hungover
Guess She’s Cool
I Keep On Messing It Up
One More Night
JUMP!
Looking At You
Emotional
As they bounce onto the stage, they are straight into it with Miserable. Immediately, lead singer Tommy Longhurst notices that the microphone isn’t working. It looked like it was turned off; however, he immediately figured the issue out and went back to singing, as the crowd cheered along. An ode to their community oriented ethos. No drama, no booing due to the technical fault, just everyone excited and happy the show can go on and the hiccup is merely just a funny and honestly charming part of the show. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band have a setlist where everyone in the audience enjoys every song as if it were the last song of the night.
The setlist is a perfect starter, main, and dessert. With songs beginning with a more sombre tone, reaching into their more energetic tunes such as I Keep On Messing It Up and JUMP! Not only this, but it reaches into all depths — from their beginnings to their current period, moving onto their future with unreleased material and singles that will be on the album. I must say I am quite eager for the debut release. With them playing some of their new material, I found Saké incredibly catchy. I was also quite impressed with how a lot of the crowd knew the lyrics. Saké stood out — catchy, confident, and already a crowd favourite. What impressed me most was how many fans already knew the lyrics to these songs that have only dropped as singles. That’s not hype — that’s devotion. The way this song plays definitely feels like one of those summer hits. Something you will hear on repeat on the radio.
I came for the music, the photos, and the review — but I left with a deeper understanding of how Only The Poets see their craft. This is a band that treats every gig like a conversation, as well as a performance. They’re not just playing songs — they’re building a movement. Only The Poets aren’t rising stars, they’re already burning bright. Keep them on your radar. They’re on a breakthrough path redefining what live music is.
Written and Photographed by Adam James - Portfolio
