WORDS AND IMAGES BY DESH KAPUR
“The New Tracks Take Classic Pop Sensibilities, Indie Values, Sonic Guitars, Giving It All A Good Shake And Voilà, Pop Perfection”
Midnight on Thursday the 13th of January was the time The Wombats new album “Fix Yourself, Not The World” was to be released and to celebrate, the band were going to do a special one-off show, down the docks at the brilliant venue, Invisible Wind Factory, in their hometown of Liverpool, and All Music Mag UK/Europe were there to celebrate with them.
So as my phone struck 12.00am there was no sign of the band, and as my phone struck 12.15am, still no sign of the band. The late-night crowd started to get restless and then as my phone struck 12.30am, the band walked on to the stage and the whole venue erupted.
After making apologies for being late, due to technical difficulties and not the popping of champagne corks, drummer Dan Haggis along with vocalist Mathew Murphy proceeded to tell the packed-out venue crowd how the next hour or so was going to run. They were going to play the new album in full and in album order before bringing the night to the end with some classic Wombat bangers. Sounds perfect.
With that the band launched into the first 3 tracks off the new record, “Flip Me Upside Down”, the brilliant “This Car Drives All By Itself” and “Ready for The High” and from that moment you just knew that the new album was going to be a classic Wombats record, bringing together all the things that made this band so special in the first place.
As the band showcase the new long-player, the new tracks take classic pop sensibilities, indie values, sonic guitars, giving it all a good shake and voilà, pop perfection. There are bits of The Cure, there are touches of Talking Heads and LCD Soundsystem, but it is Wombats, through and through.
As the tracks kept coming, the band was working on high energy (must be the champers), the crowd also on high energy (must have been the Red Bull), but the night seems to fly by. There was even time for an appearance by what looked like a bear, but it was most likely meant to be a Wombat, who invaded the stage, nearly knocked over Murph and proceeded to play a plastic trumpet, anything seemed possible at this time in the morning.
The night came to an end with the classic “Let’s Dance To Joy Division” and the crowd went nuts, and as I drove home it was time to reflect.
Yes, the new album is, I guess, their lockdown record, sprinkled with pandemic references throughout, but it is classic Wombats. This band have the brilliant art of writing slightly dark and introspective lyrics under truly uplifting Indie Pop in the way that The Smiths did to perfection, in their time. They brought the house down tonight, which demonstrated that, after all this time, this band shows no signs of slowing down or losing the knack for clever pop-smithery. And you know what? They are even bigger now than they have ever been.
SET LIST
1/ FLIP ME UPSIDE DOWN
2/ THIS CAR DRIVES BY ITSELF
3/ READY FOR THE HIGH
4/ IF YOU EVER LEAVE IM COMING WITH YOU
5/ METHOD TO THE MADNESS
6/ PEOPLE DONT CHANGE PEOPLE TIME DOES
7/ EVERYTHING I LOVE IS GING TO DIE
8/ WORK IS EASSY LIFE IS HARD
9/ WILDFIRE
10/ DON’T POKE THE BEAR
11/ WORRY
ENCORE
1/ GREEK TRAGEDY
2/ TURN
3/ LETS DANCE TO JOY DIVISION
FOLLOW THE WOMBATS
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
