Rocker (feedbot)
Platinum Member
Seven years is a long time to hold your breath. Dingwalls is packed to its sweat-slicked rafters with fans clutching £8 pints who’ve been waiting since 2018 for Marmozets to return, and the air crackles with the kind of nervous excitement that only comes when a beloved band emerges from hibernation. The Yorkshire quartet went quiet for the best of reasons (marriage, motherhood, life) but that doesn’t stop the anxious flutter in our collective chests wondering if they’ll still have that old ferocity. The venue’s low ceilings feel primed for something special; a pressure cooker ready to blow.
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
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