THE WOMBATS: LONDON, UK - 06.01.22
On the 6th of January, shivering in the winter cold, fans of The Wombats queued outside Kingston’s Pryzm, eagerly awaiting their intimate performance of the new album Fix Yourself, Not the World. Inside the venue, gigantic prisms were suspended from the ceiling that caught the light in a way that entranced anyone that looked upwards at them. The grand décor of the room was equally as dazzling and confetti lay scattered on the ground, reminiscent of a show that came before. The audience thawed as the room began to fill, and the buzz of exhilaration grew stronger.
As The Wombats bounded onto the stage, the crowd went wild. The new album was played from start to finish, and despite not knowing the words to many of the songs, the audience were still up and dancing. However, a few tracks appeared on their 2021 EP Everything I love Is Going to Die, such as ‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You.’ This song was evidently a fan favourite from the noise that came from the audience as the first note was heard. It carries the distinctive punchy, nostalgic, and danceable sound that is the wombat’s signature. It wasn’t long before a mosh pit began to form and for a member of the audience to be held in the air by a sea of hands until, of course, they were pulled over the barrier by security. “This is a very good way to start the year”, frontman Matthew Murphy affirmed with a smile as the song ended and he looked out at the crowd of adoring fans.
For the performance of the next track, ‘Ready for the High,’ which also features on their latest EP, they were joined on stage by a wombat mascot and his trombone, which left both the band and audience in fits of laughter. The song began mellow and solemn paired with high-pitched vocals but became lively and buoyant as the chorus rolled around. Another track beloved by the crowd was the sombre, slow-burning and low-fi ‘Method to the Madness.’ The track builds throughout the song into a crescendo of mosh-pit-inducing breakdowns and ends with an intense, poignant refrain. ‘Wildfire,’ a groovy previously unheard track from the album, received a great deal of praise from the audience in the form of applause. The chorus was formed of the continual and chantlike melodic phrase “she is wildfire,” which the audience swiftly picked up. The track to follow was ‘Don’t Poke the Bear’ which lyrics were comprised of idioms such as down the rabbit hole, emperor’s new clothes and of course don’t poke the bear. The song was light-hearted and bouncy in nature which brought a smile to the faces in the crowd.
Before the commencement of the penultimate track of the evening titled ‘Worry,’ a self-aware witticism was made about encores which is becoming a running joke in the world of live music. The song featured layered robotic voices, which could symbolise how the feeling of worry presents itself inside a person’s mind. As the band left the stage, the lights faded to darkness and the crowd cheered for an encore, already housing the knowledge that there would be one. No matter the level of awareness, there will forever be a build-up of anticipation when it comes to an encore at a show. As the Wombats appeared upon the stage for one final song, the crowd erupted into applause as they heard the familiar and glistening opening melody of ‘Greek Tragedy,’ the bands most iconic song. The crowd soared around the venue together with their hands held high towards the ceiling as the band were having equally as much fun on stage. As the song came to an end, an influx of hands reached over the barrier in an attempt to obtain a drum stick and the house lights illuminated the room yellow.