
[dropcap]Last[/dropcap] month, the Wombats took to The Academy to give Irish fans a night to remember. The band’s long awaited show was extremely well received, an obvious fact made clear by the large audience that filled the venue to near capacity
Wombats are an indie rock band from England. They formed in 2003 and consist of of lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew Murphy drummer Dan Haggis and bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen.
They kicked off with ‘Cheetah Tongue’ from their newest album ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life’, which immediately got the crowd moving to their funky beat.
‘Give me a try’ had everyone who’s every really wanted a relationship to work singing the lyrics “We could be gigantic, everything I need / Vicodin on Sunday nights / This could be worth the risk, worth the guarantee / This could be the drug that never bites / Just give me a try”/
The guys were very interactive with the crowd and told them they were so glad to be in Dublin, especially a few days before St. Patrick’s Day.
Songs from the new album such as ‘Black Flamingo’ and ‘White Eyes’ gave newer fans exactly what they wanted, while ‘1996’, ‘Emoticons’ and ‘Techno Fan’ pleased fans who have been around for years.
‘Kill The Director’ and ‘Lemon to a Knife Fight’ were two standout performances, with the entire audience singing in unison. “If this is a rom com, kill the director”.
The stage set-up was plain and nothing special, but it really didn’t need to be. The band’s stage presence is more impressive than any light show. It was evident throughout the entire show that the band were having just as much fun as the crowd.
‘I Don’t Know Why I Like You But I Do’, ‘Pink Lemonade’ and ‘Moving to New York’ all had energetic performances that had the crowd jumping around with their hands in the air.
‘Lethal Combination’ was another crowd pleaser. The band have to be commended for their relatable lyrics. “Say it’s all over, unleash the hounds / Every silver lining has a cloud.”
The band teased the crowd as they knew the next song was what everyone had been waiting for and then burst into an unbelievable performance of ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’. The crowd was in a frenzy from start to finish.
As the members exited the stage, fans took a few minutes to regain their breath. Then, The Wombats returned for an encore that would make an amazing end to an amazing night. ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Greek Tragedy’ are upbeat indie tunes that send shivers down your spine.
The highlight of the encore was definitely ‘Turn’, which is one of the band’s most played songs from their new album. The entire Academy was singing and swaying in harmony.
“Baby, it’s the crazy I like / I think I saw the world turn in your eyes / Baby, it’s the crazy I like.”
The Wombats put on an incredible show that is all about letting the fans have the time of their lives listening to phenomenal music.