Joey Valence & Brae

Pennsylvania’s Joey Valence & Brae have drawn wide acclaim over the past few years for their fun lyricism and dance instrumentals - with many comparisons made to groups like Beastie Boys, but with a modern flair. Known for their humour-filled songs filled to the brim with internet references, the duo have gained a large cult following amongst young fans across the world. In their biggest show in the UK to date, JVB brought their tour, in support of latest album HYPERYOUTH, to the capital for a sold-out show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Hailing from the Bay Area of Northern California, support came from rappers AG Club, making for a night of music stretching from the West to the East Coast of America. Performing a great setlist including popular songs ‘Memphis’ and ‘COLUMBIA’, the duo brought the crowd’s energy to a peak before the headliners had even begun. Members Baby Boy and Jody Fontaine carried a strong stage presence with them, and their set was filled with funny moments and audience interactivity. Fontaine spent the majority of his performance at the barrier rapping directly into the crowd, whilst Baby Boy strode about the stage, encouraging the audience to bounce and wave their hands in the air. With great dance moves and a fair few moshpits, AG Club were the perfect hype men for an already eager crowd.

JVB DJ Ewook took to the stage 15 minutes before the main event for a short DJ set. After a physical version of the horned disco ball, as seen on the HYPERYOUTH album cover, unveiled in front of the decks, Ewook launched into a dubstep/dnb compilation including tracks from Skrillex and High Contrast. Initiating wild pits that did not relent until the very end of the evening, the set moved into remixes of bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, at which point the DJ jumped up on top of his decks to hype up the crowd and dance. Before launching back into dubstep to end the quarter-hour, Ewook revelled in his compilation of “white girl music”, which had everyone in the room singing at the top of their lungs.

Joey Valence & Brae walked out to album title track ‘Hyperyouth’. The makeup of the whole setlist was mainly tracks from said project, though there was of course plenty of time for the big hits. Not a single soul was still throughout. All on the three upper tiers were stood and danced as those on the floor bounced and bashed into one another. ‘HOOLIGANG’ and ‘STARTAFIGHT’ from their debut album PUNK TACTICS really kicked off the wildness. Joey and Brae stood on raised platforms at either side of the stage but were not scared to roam around as they leapt about. The pits were friendly and a great deal of fun, matching the rappers’ charismatic presence and dance moves. Even during slower songs like ‘LIVE RIGHT’ the crowd was alive. Phone torches came out and loud voices echoed the performers as they rapped one of their most emotionally charged songs, exploring themes of nostalgia and friendship. These moments were really beautiful, and the way in which these deep tracks were interspersed with upbeat songs with daft lyrics really worked in favour of the flow of the concert. The atmosphere was electric and everyone around me was really friendly - the duo onstage asked everyone in the crowd to say hello to somebody they hadn’t met before and make a new friend which really made everybody feel comfortable with who they were dancing next to. Towards the end, each song blended into the next seamlessly, culminating in a crowd that surged and moved fluidly. After a sea of crowdsurfers flew overhead during ‘PUNK TACTICS’ and ‘THE BADDEST’, the concert culminated with HYPERYOUTH closing track ‘DISCO TOMORROW’, complete with rainbow lighting and a final round of bouncing from the crowd, ending the concert on a high that lasted the entire journey home.

Joey Valence & Brae’s Shepherd’s Bush show was incredible and one of the most memorable of the year. Their energy is immense and the duo are natural performers. Just days after the UK tour wrapped up, JVB have announced yet another tour in 2026, at bigger venues once more. It’s well worth seeing the pair in concert - tickets go on sale on Friday 14th November.