Catfish and the Bottlemen at Koko

The Balcony
source: www.catfishandthebottlemen.com

Ragey, rapturous and rambunctious are only a few words that describe the performance of Catfish and the Bottlemen at the incredible venue Koko in November. The four piece band formed in a small town in Wales all the way back in 2007. It was only in 2013 were they signed, after 6 years of touring small gig to small gig, by Communion records (the same label as Ben Howard and Half Moon Run). In the same year they released their first single 'Homesick' and their second single 'Rango'. In 2014 it was clear Catfish- as they are known in the "biz"- were heading for new heights obtaining a relatively big fan base and not only releasing four singles but also their debut album titled 'The Balcony', which reached number 10 in the UK album charts. In that same year  you couldn't escape Catfish and the Bottlemen's name on the line ups of  most of the major festivals in the UK and Europe.

Koko

I first heard the sounds of Catfish and Bottlemen when XFM released their single Pacifier for free, having listened to the song on repeat on my phone for a little while I felt somewhat like a proud mother when I heard them on the radio. When I heard Catfish were playing Koko it felt like the bargain of the year paying only £12 for a ticket. I already expected the gig to be amazing having seen them live in the summer at Somersault Festival. The journey to the venue was really easy and it's great that the venue is mere seconds away from Mornington Crescent tube station. The venue itself was wonderful inside and out; looking like an old theatre throughout and the inside was covered with light bouncing of the oversized disco ball. My friends and I arrived later than the time the doors opened, this gave a us a chance to see leader singer Van McCann himself by the stage door. He was seemingly caught up in conversation and so we chose just to head inside, so as not to seem too fan-girl and way cooler than we actually are. We were standing about three rows back but with a clear view, as fans poured in we noticed that the crowd was mainly formed of young people, at a gig! I know shocking... Then after a while the lights went down and Southern came on stage.

Southern
source: www.inveterate.co.uk

I was first told about Southern, the brother and sister duo from Belfast, by my friend who described them as beautiful-both physically and musically.  But don't let their beautiful exterior fool you, their music is raw with blue riffs of darkness and some passionate shouting from Thom (half of the duo). Currently signed by Marathon Artists they released their first self-titled 'Southern' EP in 2013. Then in 2014 they released their single 'Where the Wild Things Are'. They played songs from both the EP and the single, with popular songs as Cool Kid and World Don't Shine. Their stage presence was great allowing those who knew they words to join in and those who didn't were encouraged by their playing to do a little jig. If such an event came along I would most certainly jump to the chance to see Southern again, and if you haven't checked them out go do it... right now!

Catfish rocking out
source: www.gigwise.com

Once Southern left the stage, the suspense began to build once more as we all waited for Catfish to come on. Whilst the instruments were being set up the ever popular 'Lid', as he known by the band and fan base, Larry came out to do the sound check for the band and received some cheers from the crowd. Soon after the band entered the stage and the crowd went wild. Catfish started the show with Homesick which catalysed a crowd serge pushing all of us towards the front, as soon as the ragey chorus kicked in we all began to jump.  As they pounded through hit after hit from 'The Balcony', such as Kathleen, Pacifier and 26, the moshing in the crowd reached epic proportions. Don't get me wrong I'm all up for jumping like a nutter, sharing sweat and screaming the lyrics, but what I didn't really like was some of the crowd were literally shoving- which showed a lack of crowd etiquette tbh. But regardless Catfish's interaction with the audience and their impeccable musical performance showed genuine enthusiasm and appreciation, it also enabled us the audience to feel more comfortable with the fact that our bodies were being thrown around and made the band feel more accessible.  My highlight of the night was the moment of calm when my favourite song from the album Hourglass was being performed. At that moment the crowd and the band felt united, with the endearing lyrics and satisfaction shared between the band and the audience,it was by far the best part of the night. They appropriately ended the night with the final song of the album Tyrants, the song itself feels as though it was written to close a gig; starting slow with lyrics to shout along to and gradually getting more powerful when finally it reaches the climax, loud and hard core.

It was certainly one of the most wild and enjoyable gigs I have ever been to. Their performance is of epic proportions- it sounds like I'm exaggerating but I assure you I'm not- they sound as brilliant live as they do on the album. As a fan the moshing at this particular gig made me feel as though by sticking it out we were making them proud, giving them signs of how much the vast group of people supported and enjoyed their music. Speaking for the crowd I would say the performance definitely left us with a mind that is so hell bent on seeing them again.

They are touring in spring next year defo go grab some tickets, you won't be disappointed.