Back in 2021, this magazine wrote a few positive words in our end of year “Best Of” round-up about a young (very young) London band – The Molotovs – to say watch out for them.
The following year, we caught them in action at the very last ever Cornbury festival in the Cotswolds, where they rammed out the tent they performed in and delivered an astounding performance – and we also did an exclusive photo shoot with them.
These are the words we wrote from that coverage back in 2022:
The three youngsters in The Molotovs are future stars. Trust me. Their talent and confidence/stage presence is staggering considering their ages.
Issey Carts on bass is 16, Ice Dob on drums is also 16, (and she is also the band’s producer) and Mathew Cartlidge on lead vocals and guitar is the baby at 14. Issey and Matthew are siblings, and Ice is their good friend.
They play mainly covers – from 50s to present day; rock and roll, mod, Brit pop, post punk – but already have a few originals and will have more soon. In their set at Cornbury they smashed it with such iconic tracks as The Who’s “My Generation”, Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy In The UK” and Arctic Monkeys’ “You Look Good On The Dance Floor”.
Do not let “covers” put you off. Their set is so tight and so powerful, it gob-smacked me and everyone in that tent. To see Matthew leaping up in the air a few times in their set and not missing a note is something to behold.
We say: Future stars – The Molotovs…
They look superb too, in their Union Jack and England footie gear. Mr Cowell should sign these up to appear on Britain’s Got Talent and my cash says they’d win it – and then land a record deal for a hit album and tour.
This is not a novelty act or kids in over their heads. They are as serious as a heart attack and could be the next big thing from the UK in the next few years…………..Remember the name. The Molotovs. They went down a bomb and their performance was fire. See what I did there? Our man Asprey [one of our photographers] is still talking about this performance and has been championing the band for sometime at gigs in London.
So, wind forward three years to 2025 and The Molotovs are on fire…
Comprised of siblings, 17-year-old Mathew [lead vocals and guitar] and 19-year-old Issey Cartlidge [bass and backing vocals], they signed to major independent label Marshall Records – part of the iconic Marshall music equipment company – and with top end management and booking agency.
Their debut single “More More More” recently zoomed straight in to # 1 in the Official UK Vinyl Chart.
They have played at least 500 gigs already in the UK and overseas! The trio has just wowed a sold out Royal Albert Hall when The Sex Pistols with Frank Carter invited them to open for their Teenage Cancer Trust show a few days ago. They toured with the guys prior to this and also opened for Blondie at Cardiff Castle, and toured as support to Adam Ant last year.
The Molotovs stormed SXSW in Texas this year, and are currently on a pretty much sold out 14-date UK headline tour, blowing fans and critics away. We caught them in Brighton on Wednesday night [9th April] for an incendiary performance.
Mega US band Green Day love them and have given them a big positive shout out. The Libertines picked them to share their stage. In 2024 they hit a slew of festivals, including the Isle of Wight Festival and a European tour with iDKHOW.
They have Leeds, Stockton, Norwich and a Scala show in London left on their current tour, before July’s gigs in France, Cheltenham and Maidstone. Then in August they have Herefordshire’s Lakefest and Blackpool’s Rebellion Festival.
The band’s debut single “More More More,” is available digitally and on a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl. This short run includes extra tracks for collectors: a piercing version of David Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’ (Live From London) as its B-side and a digital-only live version of “More More More.”
Produced by Jason Perry (Don Broco, Trash Boat) at The Marshall Studio and mixed/mastered by Blair Crichton of Dead Pony, The Molotovs’ debut single is “a new-wave punk anthem bursting with vibrance and immediacy that encapsulates rock and roll’s youthful verve.
“It’s a rallying cry for the restless, capturing the pursuit of fleeting pleasures while questioning whether doing less might mean more.”
Mathew Cartlidge comments, “It’s about existing in a transient relationship that you feel indifferent about. Filling up time with drinking and partying to distract you from the mundane boredom of life, covering up for lack of personality, and deep down knowing you want more.”
Mathew adds, expanding on the band’s influences: “Musically, our influences stem from greats like The Jam, Green Day, and The Sex Pistols. Sonically, we aimed for the band to reflect our adoration of the late 70s and early ’80s new wave/mod revival.”
When The Molotovs signed with UK independent label Marshall Records, the deal was finalised at Sixty Sixty Sounds on London’s famed Denmark Street. They announced the news to fans at their sold-out show at Dingwalls, London, alongside their family, Expectation Management and the Marshall Records teams.
“We’re excited to sign an act that embodies the spirit and essence of what Marshall stands for… live, loud and explosive,” Marshall Group’s Director of Music Platforms, Steve Tannett comments.
On signing the contracts, guitarist and vocalist Mathew Cartlidge remarks: “When Marshall came knocking, it was a no-brainer for us to jump on board and link arms with a brand embedded in rock’n’roll history.” Bass player Issey Cartlidge added: “They forged the way for some of the greats and we are excited to become the new generation of Marshall music.’”
The band’s shows are far more than just another gig. They provide an experience. It’s the anthemic and powerful songs, the energy, the look, the stage craft, the atttitude, the electricity in the air…
The Molotovs have got it all in bucket loads. What we said about them in 2021 and 2022, way before most had cottoned on to these youngsters and their potential, we stand by today and are steadily being proven right.
But in the words of that classic rock song, “You ain’t seen nothing yet” – just watch The Molotovs explode in the next few years. It’s a sure-fire thing…
Live photos by Manja Williams [Taken @ Prince Albert, Brighton – 9th April 2025]
“Suits” photo – top of page – by Kane Layland
Poster shot by Derek Bremner
Words by Steve Best
