In Berlin, Telekom Electronic Beats takes over an old car factory for an evening of agency, great tunes, and a whole lot of headbanging, soundtracked by Wet Leg and Lava La Rue.

A derelict Mercedes factory nestled somewhere in West Berlin. The bass is thumping and the crowd is jumping beneath the nearly-blinding strobe lights. A few moments ago, Wet Leg walked – or rather, were driven by a makeshift car – on stage. As the audience erupts in excitement, frontwoman Rhian Teasdale’s washed-out pink hair leads the way for each member to find their respective instrument, while fellow founding member Hester Chambers finds her spot stage right, shyly hiding behind her hair, but firmly standing her ground. But don’t be fooled by their backseat entrance; Wet Leg are not mere passengers.

Teasdale has always had a somewhat non-conformist attitude, which is exactly what you’d expect from someone whose Instagram handle is @spitroasty3k. In 2023, to the amusement of her fellow bandmates, she recited Alex Turner’s 2014 speech when accepting the BRIT Award for Best New Artist. In her Wonderland Magazine Autumn 2025 cover story, she dismisses fame, affirming she “hardly ever” gets recognised on the streets. “Or if people do [recognise me], they’re probably too scared of me,” she says, before backtracking, “I think that was a joke. I wish people were scared of me.” It comes as no surprise, then, that Teasdale was chosen to star in Deutsche Telekom’s “Not A Passenger” campaign – she never lets you tell her where to stand, and she certainly doesn’t let you tell her where to sit.

Hand on the steering wheel of a top-down 4×4, Teasdale is accosted by an overwhelming herd carrying an array of miscellaneous items you’d find on TikTok Shop – a red light therapy mask, a blender filled with a non-descript green liquid, a ring light. Her escape plan? Slamming her foot on the accelerator, driving hurriedly away whilst a Wet Leg-ified version of “My Favourite Game” by The Cardigans blasts through the speaker. Not even a minor traffic incident (she flies through the windscreen) can shake her, as she stands firmly on two feet, tuning out the noise in an empowering message aimed at Gen Z. Don’t let your FYP consume you. Don’t let algorithms dictate your taste. And certainly don’t let strangers on the internet affect the way you think or live.

At the Telekom Electronic Beats concert, where Wet Leg blast tunes from last year’s sophomore album, moisturizer, and fan favourites from its debut predecessor like “Wet Dream,” the message is heard, loud and clear. With no more than five phones being held up at any given moment, it feels as though modern tech is sacrilegious in the confines of these four concrete walls. Headbanging replaces filming; Berlin’s nightlife anti-phone culture makes for the perfect backdrop for the messaging plastered across the stage sides. “Not everything is about you.” 

But before the band accompanies the crowd into an hour-or-so of tunnel-visioned flow, it is Lava La Rue who commences the revelries. Teasdale’s partner and Wet Leg’s repeat opening act, the London born-and-bred musician kicks things off by lulling us with ambitious, immersive lo-fi R&B and psychedelia, before enchanting us with their abrasive latest single, “Prince of Bologna.”

After the festivities, Wonderland catch up with La Rue, touching base on concert phone etiquette, Berlin must-do’s and see’s, and what to do when you feel overwhelmed by the internet.

Photography by Cobrasnake

You opened for Wet Leg’s Telekom Electronic Beats concert in Berlin. Walk us through your pre-stage rituals?

Clip my toenails, eat beetroot soup, spread little plastic cockroaches around the headliners dressing room.

And post-show rituals?

Pocket the rider.

What’s your favourite Wet Leg song to watch live?

The walk on song.

Are you pro or against phones at concerts? Why?

I’m pro phones but only if they’re playing Candy Crush on full volume the whole gig. Otherwise put it away.

Do you find that music – either listening or making – helps you tune out the outside world’s noise?

Depending on the music, some songs feel like sticking your head in a blender (in a good way) and some songs make you hyper aware of the outside world’s noise – like old man artists who complain about how f*cked the world is (good also).

What is your solution to feeling overwhelmed by the internet?

Anyone who feels overwhelmed by the internet should come live on my street. [I] can’t get any bloody signal anywhere and the Wi-Fi connection is crap.

Photography by Peyman Azhari

What is the most Gen Z thing about you?

I technically fall into the Gen Z category due to the year I’m born but I truly identify with Gen zZz…

How do you think Gen Z relates to your music?

By streaming me on [an] algorithmic playlist influenced by big tech.

What is one thing you want your listeners to take away from your music?

Your belly button can contain dozens of different species of bacteria. Researchers have even found species in navels that are usually associated with soil and the ocean.

We’ve got very limited time in Berlin. What are the must-visit spots on your list?

All the spots me and the band visit in 48 hours of Berlin are: Neue Zukunft for a weird movie & pint, cheap Thai dinner at li:ke, the very big multi-floor HUMANA’s for some new stage clothes & as much as the clubs are fun, we usually end up hanging outside the Späti shooting the shit.

How do you stay grounded while constantly travelling on tour?

I don’t. I’m absolutely tapped in the head. The band has to strap me down between gigs.