On a night when Montrealers were bracing for a massive freezing rain storm, the line outside the venue proved that no amount of Canadian winter could keep fans away. A predominantly Gen Z crowd packed MTELUS early to see Artemas, the English singer-songwriter riding a massive wave of viral momentum on his LOVERCORE tour. It’s a testament to his pull that the room was full to the rafters just hours before the city was scheduled to become an ice rink.
The night kicked off with Ella, who got the early birds moving, though I unfortunately missed her set due to some classic STM “breakdown fun times.” Following her was Henry Morris, who really didn’t feel like an opener; he had the entire barricade screaming back every lyric. Rocking loose jeans and a tank top, he had the presence to prep the crowd for a night of high-energy alt-pop. Even with a rough start—his guitar wasn’t working for the first song—he handled the frustration with grace, telling the crowd, “Just pretend I’m playing the guitar right now, okay?” Much like the headliner, Morris taps into that gritty, alt-pop vein that feels very “now,” serving as the perfect bridge to the dark, synth-heavy atmosphere we were all waiting for.
Just moments before the lights dimmed, I was chatting in the pit with fellow photographer and local legend Susan Moss about how we hadn’t heard much of Artemas outside of the TikTok hits. We were both surprised by how packed the venue was. The moment he took the stage, the screams were truly something else—we just looked at each other like, “God damn, that’s loud!” before we started shooting. Artemas came out in red “fast glasses” and an all-black outfit, immediately diving into the moody, bass-heavy production he’s known for. While some might dismiss him as a “TikTok artist,” his live show tells a different story; he has the commanding presence of a seasoned indie-rock frontman rather than a bedroom-pop producer. Especially when considering the production onstage is nothing flashy. Literally just a banner with the art of LOVERCORE in it and strobe lights.
After ur special to me, he briefly stopped to address the crowd. The English artist seemed shell-shocked by the sold-out turnout, yelling, “Last time I was here, we were in a tiny room! Let’s fucking go, play the fucking song!” before jumping into vanish. The setlist was a tight journey through his debut and sophomore projects, but the energy shifted into overdrive when the opening chords of i like the way you kiss me hit. The floor started shaking as the lights of 2,000 phones jumping up and down lit up the venue. If you’re an avid scroller, that’s the inescapable tune that’ll make you go, “Oh! Of course.”
It’s wild to think that only a few years ago, Artemas was producing songs in his bedroom in Oxfordshire. After being inspired by a Kurt Cobain documentary at 16, he taught himself Ableton and spent years grinding through dozens of self-released tracks. You can still hear that grunge influence in his live set—it’s got way more grit than your average pop show. While he’s been prolific since 2020, it was the massive viral explosions of if u think i’m pretty and i like the way you kiss me that finally vaulted him from those “tiny rooms” like the Fairmount to selling out MTELUS.
Artemas proved that while the internet introduced him to the world, his talent and stagecraft are what will keep him here. As we filtered out into the freezing rain, he gave us enough energy to spare before we all hunkered down for the next 24 hours. Hopefully, he returns soon—ideally during a Montreal summer next time.
Review & photos – Andres Amaya
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