Goo take to the stage earlier in the evening with the venue still filling up and the crowd holding back with that polite Saturday evening reservation that can plague support slots. West Yorkshire’s fuzzy indie-punks deserve better than this measured response too, but they don’t let it dim their attack. Vocalist Tanisha Badman and her bandmates throw everything they have at the room, determined to shake loose some energy from the swaying bodies. Their new single ‘Payday’ cuts through the chatter with those sunshine-saturated guitars and Tanisha’s vocals that nod to Courtney Barnett’s effortless cool, and for a moment the pints pause mid-sip as people actually pay attention. The band’s grunge-tinged alt-rock brings genuine energy, even when the crowd won’t quite meet them halfway. Tanisha graciously thanks “the mighty Marmozets” for having them before they exit. It’s a shame more people didn’t arrive earlier. Goo brought the fire, the crowd just wasn’t ready to catch it yet.

The atmosphere shifts entirely at 8:45pm when Becca Macintyre strolls onstage, looking cool as anything with her leopard print top catching the lights. Without fanfare, Marmozets tear into ‘A Kiss From A Mother’; their new single landing like a statement of intent. The gothy garage riffs twist around Becca’s voice as she unleashes that signature scream – a reminder of just how striking it is to hear the sheer force pouring from her throat. Within thirty seconds it’s clear the hiatus hasn’t dulled a single edge. The ceiling starts dripping condensation almost immediately, with bodies colliding and the venue transforming into exactly the kind of chaos Marmozets were born to create.

‘Play’ and ‘Weird and Wonderful’ demonstrate why they were called one of the UK’s most exciting live acts before they vanished. The math-rock rhythms stutter and surge while Sam Macintyre’s guitar playing carves jagged patterns through the mayhem. ‘Is It Horrible’ hits with visceral impact before ‘Particle’ showcases that peculiar Marmozets magic of pivoting from melodic to manic in a single bar. ‘You Want The Truth’ and ‘Habits’ continue to build momentum, with each song acting as a reminder of exactly what we’ve been missing. When Becca announces: “Here’s a dancing one”, before launching into ‘Running With The Sun In Your Eyes’, she’s not asking, she’s commanding. “Let’s see your dance moves; Saturday night,” she grins, and the room obliges with abandon.

‘Love You Good’ brings a brief moment of melodic breathing room before ‘Move, Shake, Hide’ sparks an inevitable mosh pit – bodies slamming with seven years of pent-up energy finally released. Sam’s confrontation with security over crowdsurfing becomes the defining moment of the night. “Kick me out as well then!” he shouts when security begin to eject crowdsurfers; the band refusing to let venue staff dampen the energy. “Do whatever you like, that’s the rule at our shows,” Becca declares, and the room erupts in approval.

It’s this defiant spirit that makes Marmozets more than just a band returning from hiatus. They’re a reminder of what live music is supposed to feel like, uninhibited and alive.

‘Cut Back’ and ‘Captivate You’ pull from the older material. They’re songs that feel like reuniting with old friends. Meanwhile, ‘New York’ demonstrates exactly what they’ve been cooking up during their time away (eccentric and unhinged in all the right ways). The one-two punch of ‘Why Do You Hate Me?’ followed by ‘Major System Error’ forms an encore that leaves the sweat-drenched crowd gasping, with the ceiling still dripping as Becca stands there grinning like someone who’s just remembered exactly who they are.

So the seven-year wait was worth it. Marmozets haven’t just survived their hiatus, they’ve returned stronger and more focused than ever. In this cramped Camden venue, with the ceiling dripping and security thoroughly told off, they proved that sometimes stepping away is exactly what you need to remember why you started. Welcome back.

KATHRYN EDWARDS

This is general consensus among YMAS fans, as proven by the relentless pressure that was placed on the band to embark on a 10 year anniversary tour for this album – thankfully resulting in them giving in to the requests and announcing 12 shows across the UK and Ireland.

The band made it abundantly clear that this was all for us, highlighting once more how much they appreciate their fans, and the gratitude that we felt in return was made evident by the fact that it was almost impossible to manoeuvre your way through the crowd. When they said ‘sold out’, they meant it.

The crowd was made up of millennials whose teenage angst was defined by albums such as this, and the child-like excitement that spread throughout the crowd following support acts The Xcerts and Marmozets was contagious. From the very first moment, each and every fan screamed along to every lyric as though their lives depended on it, fully aware that this may well be the first and last time they would ever see some of these songs played live.

If the yells that accompanied opening chords of ‘The Truth Is A Terrible Thing’ were loud, then those that came with the start of ‘Gossip’ were downright deafening. The band may have played their way through it as swiftly as possible, but armed with the knowledge that YMAS hate it so much, the fans made the most of every second of the three minute performance.

As with the performance of ‘Save It For the Bedroom’ that we’d seen two nights earlier on the ‘VI’ tour, Josh Franceschi anecdotally explained that this was just one of the many moments throughout the evening where he was about to “be a little prick”, once again encouraging as many people to crowd surf as humanly possible in return for a high five. Security could barely keep up, and those of us that chose to stay put spent the next few minutes constantly pushing flailing limbs forwards towards the stage.

Every song brought back a memory: ‘Tigers and Sharks’ reminded you of your first love, ‘Take Off Your Colours’ of the very moment you decided to stop caring about the haters and be entirely yourself… It was a throwback that we all craved, even if we hadn’t known it up until that point, and every song allowed you to fondly look back at a carefree youth that felt oh so difficult at the time.

Nostalgic recollection of that innocent teenage pain peaked with a magical performance of ‘Always Attract’ – a timeless, heart wrenching ballad that continues to leave you feeling choked up even after all this time. Part way through the performance, Josh’s sister, Elissa – who features on the album – joined him on the stage, her angelic and flawless vocals a welcome addition to the evening.

Not feeling content enough with being on stage, Josh took the opportunity to jump into the crowd for the final track on TOYC, ‘The Rumour’. This is a song that was made to be performed live, highlighted as 5,000 attendees sung the band off stage to the line, “Hold your hands in, into the air. Hold your hands up as if you care”, obediently raising our arms as we did so.

This marked the end of the first part of the set, but there were still 7 more songs to come, including (much to our delight) ‘Take Off Your Colours’ bonus tracks, ‘Finders Keepers’ and ‘Kiss and Tell’.

Prior to this, though, one patron was removed from the venue during ‘Reckless’ after Josh halted the show to call him out for fighting in the pit, stating that “this fucking house is about love”. This only furthered the notion that You Me At Six are a band that cares for their fans, with zero tolerance for violence or hatred.

There were mixed feelings as the show continued, but ultimately any disappointment that this kind of behaviour still occurs was masked by a sweet satisfaction that this particular attendee was unable enjoy the final few (and some of the best) songs of the night.  ‘I O U’ offered the perfect opportunity of a boogie (and we do not use this word lightly), whereas finale, ‘Underdog’, as always, felt like a reunion between old friends, causing you to leave the venue feeling fulfilled, broken and hoarse – all at the same time.

YASMIN BROWN

The solid foundations of this relationship were made clear at the first of three nights at Brixton Academy – this one in support of You Me At Six’s recently released album, ‘VI’, which brought in an almost sold out Friday night crowd. With the room filling up early to experience support acts The Marmozets and The Xcerts, the anxious anticipation was almost tangible at the idea of witnessing their new favourite YMAS songs live for the first time.

The night kicked off with what might be the band’s best tour opener yet, ‘Fast Forward’. It’s heavier tempo sent the crowd into a frenzy, the pace of which was easily maintained during old favourites ‘Lived a Lie’, ‘Reckless’ and ‘Loverboy’.

Upon its release, ‘Back Again’ raised some eyebrows, but after having time to warm up to its not-so-subtle pop undertones, YMAS fans were ready to get their dancing shoes on before taking it back to 2014 and 2016 with ‘Night People’, ‘Fresh Start Fever’ and ‘Cold Night’; the main riff that fuels the latter still hitting that sweet spot four years later and providing an excellent opportunity for a ‘side vs side’ singalong.

Of course it wouldn’t be a You Me At Six show without those massive anthems, and ‘Stay With Me’ was the first of the night, seeing arms reach desperately into the air as the deafening crowd gave lead singer Josh Franceschi a much needed break during the chorus. It was cleverly paired with ‘Give’, another powerful ballad rock song that allowed fans to yell into the abyss during its closing lyrics.

This emotional atmosphere was broken up only briefly with ‘VI’s’ leading single ‘3AM’ (another pop treasure), before jumping straight back into it for ‘Take On the World’ – a song which on this particular night was dedicated to us, the fans. Josh explained how close they came to cancelling the next few shows due to illness, but that he “looked around the dressing room at my best friends in the fucking world and I thought about their family and friends and the five thousand people that have been looking forward to this for a long time and I thought that’s worth getting pricked in the bum for sure.” 

With phone lights now lighting the iconic venue, it was easy the see the tears silently streaking the faces of many at this sentiment, but these were quickly wiped away as Josh explained that the next song would only be played should there be “an obscene amount of crowd surfers” and the opening notes to 2008’s ‘Save It For the Bedroom’ hit our ears. The crowd – as they say – went wild.

‘Bite My Tongue’ never gets old, and the screams that came both during and following the hectic performance were heartwarming, as the realisation hit that You Me At Six have created this everlasting fan base that will love them whether they’re writing alongside Oli Sykes or Max Martin. It was the perfect moment to pause for an encore, giving us a second to collect ourselves before diving right back in for the final four songs.

Matt, Max, and Josh had already been leaping across the stage, but it was during the encore where they really let loose, giggling like school boys as they ran at each other in jest. Despite Josh’s sickness, all five band members were clearly embracing every little bit of this unforgettable evening as they made their way through ‘Room to Breathe’ and ‘No One Does It Better’ to delighted screams coming from the five thousand in attendance.

After happily dancing our way through a performance of new single ‘Straight to my Head’, it was time for the finale which came – as ever – in the form of ‘Underdog’. It might be eight years old, but this will forever be You Me At Six’s legacy, and nothing will ever beat screaming that single word with any number of other fans who love this band just as much as you do.

It’s impossible to describe a You Me At Six show without using the words ‘ecstatic’ or ‘joyful’. It might sound glib or lacklustre, but as you recall launching yourself into the air over and over, despite only being held up by a fleeting adrenaline rush, these are the most powerful emotions that come to mind.

You might be drowning in your own sweat with your hair stuck grimly to your forehead like you’ve used way too much Brylcreem, but you’ll also be wearing a grin so big your jaw aches. And that’s really the only accurate way to describe what this evening felt like. And the best news is that the band hinted that they may or may not be playing Reading and Leeds this summer (they totally are), so we get to do it all again very soon.

YASMIN BROWN

Black Stone Cherry, Shinedown, Thunder, Volbeat, You Me at Six, The Bronx, Marmozets, Milk Teeth, Rolo Tomassi, Boston Manor, Jonathan Davis, The Temperance Movement, Thrice, Baroness, L7, TesseracT, Hatebreed, Cancer Bats, Dragonforce, The Struts, Monster Truck, Less Than Jake, Greta Van Fleet, Whiskey Myers, Thy Art Is Murder, Cradle of Filth, Inglorious, Kreator, The Maine, Stray from the Path, Jamie Lenman, Miss May I, Employed to Serve, Shvpes, Bury Tomorrow, Puppy, Higher Power, Dead Cross, Stick to Your Guns, Blessthefall, The Bottom Line, Emmure, Plini, Myrkur, Knocked Loose, All Them Witches, Malevolence, Zeal and Ardor, No Hot Ashes, Gold Key, The Hyena Kill, Sun Arcana, Tigress, Death Blooms, The Faim, Turbonegro, Corrosion of Conformity, Savage Messiah, Myke Gray, Von Hertzen Brothers, Woes, Powerflo, Sleep Token, and Koyo will join the likes Ozzy Osbourne, Avenged Sevenfold, Guns N’ Roses and more at the Donnington Park based rock/metal festival, which takes place from the 8th to the 10th June. More bands will be revealed soon.

Tickets are available to purchase now on the festival website.

The track is taken from their upcoming second album, ‘Knowing What You Know Now’. Produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters), it will be released on the 26th January 2018 via Roadrunner Records.

The dates will be in support of their upcoming second album, ‘Knowing What You Know Now’. Produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters), it will be released on the 26th January 2018 via Roadrunner Records.

The band will also be playing the following UK/Ireland shows.

FEBRUARY 2018
02 CARDIFF The Tramshed*
03 SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms*
04 BRIGHTON Concorde 2*
06 CAMBRIDGE Junction*
07 LONDON ULU*
08 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms*
09 NEWCASTLE Riverside*
11 SHEFFIELD The Leadmill*
12 EDINBURGH The Liquid Room*
APRIL
12 DUBLIN, IRE Green Room, Academy
13 BELFAST Oh Yeah Music Centre

* w/ Queen Zee

The track was released last month and follows their debut EP ‘Eat My Sass’ from September.

The band will also be joining Marmozets on their UK tour in February next year via the following dates.

FEBRUARY 2018
02 CARDIFF The Tramshed
03 SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms
04 BRIGHTON Concorde 2
06 CAMBRIDGE Junction
07 LONDON ULU
08 NOTTINGHAM Rescue a Rooms
09 NEWCASTLE Riverside
11 SHEFFIELD The Leadmill
12 EDINBURGH The Liquid Room

It follows their debut EP ‘Eat My Sass’ from September.

https://soundcloud.com/queenzeeandthesasstones/idle-crown-radio-edit-master-131117/s-7osfD

The band have also confirmed that they will be joining Marmozets on their UK tour in February next year via the following dates.

FEBRUARY 2018
02 CARDIFF The Tramshed
03 SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms
04 BRIGHTON Concorde 2
06 CAMBRIDGE Junction
07 LONDON ULU
08 NOTTINGHAM Rescue a Rooms
09 NEWCASTLE Riverside
11 SHEFFIELD The Leadmill
12 EDINBURGH The Liquid Room

The dates will be in support of their upcoming second album, ‘Knowing What You Know Now’. Produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters), it will be released on the 26th January 2018 via Roadrunner Records.

All info on these shows as well as their previously announced dates are listed below.

NOVEMBER
01 PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms*
02 NORWICH Arts Centre*
06 BRISTOL The Fleece*
07 BOURNEMOUTH The Old Fire Station*
09 LONDON The Garage*
FEBRUARY 2018
02 CARDIFF The Tramshed
03 SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms
04 BRIGHTON Concorde 2
06 CAMBRIDGE Junction
07 LONDON ULU
08 NOTTINGHAM Rescue a Rooms
09 NEWCASTLE Riverside
11 SHEFFIELD The Leadmill
12 EDINBURGH The Liquid Room

* w/ Queen Zee & the Sasstones