LIVE REVIEW: The Wombats, On The Waterfront

Against a fitting backdrop of the River Mersey and the Liver Building, Liverpool Indie icons The Wombats returned home to play a huge hometown show on the city's waterfront. The sun was beaming and the pints were flying as their supports Keyside, Overpass, Corella and Pale Waves opened the night before Liverpool’s own Shit Indie Disco performed a DJ set getting everyone warmed up singing along to all the biggest indie tunes of the last 25 years.

Photo Credit: Anthony Mooney

Walking on stage at their scheduled time - yet opening up with ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come’ - Matthew Murphy, Daniel Haggis and Tord Overland bounded through the first few songs to an audience of scousers singing every word back.

The unpredictability of a Wombats show led attendees from witnessing a sea of light shone across the waterfront as everyone’s phones went up for an acoustic rendition of ‘Lethal Combination’ to a rowing mosh pit breaking out during ‘Method to the Madness’.

From Murphy’s accidental sex joke and a choreographed dance routine during ‘Blood on the Hospital Floor’ through to Haggis introducing ‘Ready For The High’ by letting everyone know that the "seagulls by the River Mersey are not ready to see a Wombat playing a plastic Trombone" (and their own Wombat mascot running through the crowd playing a vibrant green trombone) – their impact on this city was felt both through their music and their relatability to the crowd having met just up the street from the waterfront.  

Photo Credit: Anthony Mooney

There was something for every Wombats fan as they covered all the bands ‘eras’ before ending with classic hits such as ‘Moving to New York’ through to ‘I Love America but She Hates Me’. It was a magical night for the hometown heroes and one of our favourite shows of the year!