Live Review: Catfish & The Bottlemen, Fan Girl

Fan Girl were no warm-up band; they ripped into their set like they were playing their own headline show.

Showcasing heavy metal spirit in the way they composed themselves on stage, they spewed out stadium rock classics. With swirling riffs, heavenly falsetto and hard hitting drums, Fan Girl channelled the likes of Muse, but packed some serious punch. Luckily, they had an almost full Enmore Theatre to share in their energy; the biggest crowd they had ever played to – and this will surely not be their last.

Catfish & The Bottlemen entered to a screaming, sold-out crowd. From the first note of Homesick, the audience was singing the lyrics back to Van McCann, who seemed genuinely stoked by our flawless lyric knowledge. They followed it up with Kathleen.

We're not sure if Catfish & The Bottlemen’s lyrics are just easy to remember due to those juicy hooks, or if Sydneysiders really love them that much, but the show was truly a love-in. There was not a still body or closed mouth on the floor (or in the stands), as the audience worshipped every lyric and note the band played.

The band brought their A-game (not that it would have mattered); their set was tight and album replica, and their performance oozed energy and charisma. But with true showmanship they let their music speak louder than their words, throwing in a few humble thank yous between songs.

Although every song was killer, the finale took the cake. Kicking off with 7, then taking us back to where our love for the band began with Cocoon, before Tyrants was chosen to amp us up and tease out the end.

It’s easy to see why the band are keen on returning here soon, and we would gladly have them back.