The ‘Showtime’ of Catfish Is Only Just Beginning: Catfish And The Bottlemen At Sefton Park Review

Words: Gracie Erskine

Anticipation, excitement, fear; inquisitive whisperings echoed around Sefton Park, all spanning around the centrifugal force of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s imminent return. With the week prior to the first gig since the abrupt and taciturn hiatus, being walled by lineup queries, cancellation rumours and just the simple question of who’s in the band, it’s no surprise the fans were riddled with concern. Ex lead guitarist Johnny ‘Bondy’ Bond announced his exit from the band via Instagram in 2021, calling it ‘dysfunctional’ with a spiteful undertone. Whilst previous drummer Bob Hall has now bestowed his skills to a new band, ‘Hearts’, both bassist Benji Blakeway and frontman Van McCann left fans in the dark wondering if this comeback was just a pseudonym for ‘The Van McCann Show’.

So when the lights arose in the Liverpool field to a back to back serving of ‘Ain’t That A Kick In The Head’ into ‘Helter Skelter’, longstanding Catfish fans took this homage to their previous tour as a sign to retire their anxieties knowing they were back in safe hands. McCann stormed the stage, stamping his feet repeatedly, soaking in the screams and applause- a sense of mutual relief shared between himself and the audience. The invigorating bass of fan favourite ‘Longshot’ plucked away as the audience eagerly awaited, toes curling at the intensity as the Welsh rocker teased them before electrifying the night with simply the word ‘Go’. The crowd erupted, fangirl screams ruptured ear drums, tears were shed, pints were mid- air, and it’s hard not to stand guilty of any of the above as the crowd pursued a relentless expression of gratuity.

A sea of inflatable crocodiles swarmed the crowd as the band charge into Catfish classic ‘Soundcheck’, nothing but pure enjoyment seeped through the audience, simply sterling bliss. McCann’s performance was faultless for long-term fans, it was the self-indulgent, microphone dodging chaos that has been craved for the last 3 years. With that being said, the lack of introduction to the new drummer and guitarist alongside playing the same set as on ‘The Balance’ tour felt impersonal and a minor cosplay of what they used to be.

Ultimately, the return of the bottlemen marks a sign of beauty in the the joy it brings to fans who didn’t get to catch them the first time round and a A* nostalgia tour for those who did. In any format the indie-rock quartet are an unbelievably tight live band and if years of fans begging with zero formal or publicised communication can still result in a sell-out string of summer shows doesn’t show that , then you should buckle up, as the ‘Showtime’ of Catfish and the Bottlemen is only just beginning.