Catfish and The Bottlemen

My favourite band since my early teenage years, and I've only just seen them live, not from lack of trying.

Venue: Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena
Capacity: 10,000
Support: Twin Atlantic


For those of you who've been here since the beginning, you'll recall my first ever blog post was to pay homage to these guys, and since then my love has only grown at an exponential rate. I've watched them release two albums (anticipating a third) and seen them go from playing Manchester's Ritz to selling out arenas - yet every time they were in town I was busy, or couldn't go and it was so frustrating, so when I finally got the chance - you bet I'd be standing right at the front.

Watching concert videos, and having a boyfriend who does nothing but worship Van McCann and brag about how amazing they are live, I was incredibly excited for this concert and expected it to be the best gig I'd been to so far. But did it live up to expectations?

I was low-key hoping that Pretty Vicious would support these guys, they have a pretty similar sound and both have massive songs, AND they're both from Wales - what could be more convenient? But the crowd seemed to love Twin Atlantic who put on an energetic set and riled fans up for the main event.

Waiting for them to come on stage was torture, you’d think that after waiting nearly 5 years for this moment that I’d have the patience to withstand another couple of hours? You thought wrong. It was hell, but definitely worth the 5 hour coach journey.

Van McCann, Bob Hall, Benji Blakeway, Johnny Bond. The four musical geniuses that

make up Catfish and The Bottlemen stormed the stage and put on the show of a lifetime for the debut gig of their February 2019 tour. I'd waited forever and a lifetime for this night, and to be watching them for the first time alongside my favourite person? (Sorry Ella) Not too shabby.

Setlist

Longshot 
Kathleen 
Soundcheck
Pacifier
Twice
Fallout
Anything
Business 
Sidetrack
Heathrow
Postpone
Homesick
Rango 
Outside
Hourglass
Fluctuate
7
Cocoon
Tyrants


To be a part of the first crowd to hear Longshot and the debut of new track Sidetrack Live  (you can watch the video here) was amazing - the new album is definitely going to be something special. Catfish live were everything I expected and more, the four lads never cease to amaze - I just wish they would’ve played Sidewinder and/or 26, but I suppose they’ll only play less and less Balcony songs as new singles get released.

From live sets I’ve seen them perform at festivals/ concerts on YouTube, I think that the band are becoming increasingly visual with the way they put on a show - black and white footage of the crowd and live streaming the gig on three giant screens around the stage and LED versions of the Toucan from The Balance suspended in the air that changed colour and flashed dependent on the song being performed - maybe they’ll take a page out of The 1975’s book?

All I can say is that I'm incredibly excited for The Balance and round 2 at Manchester Arena.

'Til then...