Indie rock band The Wombats, best known for hits like ‘Greek Tragedy,’ ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division,’ and ‘Kill the Director,’ performed at Cardiff’s Motorpoint arena as part of their ‘All the Hits Tour.’
Support act ‘Sports team’ performed a high-spirited set to open the show which involved a lot of jumping and even a crowd surf. However, the star of the show seemed to be keyboardist Ben Mack who’s lack of effort for comedic effect drew the attention of the crowd as he was often seen just stood there or walking around.
Once it was time for the Wombats to take to the stage, the audience were buzzing. They opened the show with an energetic performance of ‘Flip Me Upside Down,’ which set the scene for the rest of the evening, completed with a packed-out arena singing along to all the hits and even featuring a mosh pit.
The band formed in Liverpool back in 2003 when they were all studying at the?Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts with their name stemming from calling each other ‘Wombo’ (short for wombat) and the fact that they needed a name to put on the poster for their first gig in Liverpool.
A good majority of the setlist was made up of songs from the band’s latest studio album ‘Fix Yourself and Not the World.’ This was released earlier in the year and is also the Wombats first UK number one album. Featuring songs like ‘This Car Drives All By Itself,’ and ‘If You Ever Leave I’m Coming With You,’ which proved to be a hit among fans with lead singer Matthew Murphy introducing the song by saying that the title had been inspired by something his then girlfriend - now wife - said to him.
Later in the show, Murphy performed a solo, acoustic version of ‘Lethal Combination,’ forgetting the lyrics during the first few verses, continuing to strum his guitar before announcing ‘f*** I forgot the words,’ adding ‘I knew it was going to happen at some point, I didn’t think the third show was going to be the one.’
Proving to be a lively show with a number of upbeat hits, the audience were immersed in the whole experience. There were plenty of special effects used including dry ice-filled bubbles during ‘Pink Lemonade,’ and a falling curtain of sparks during ever popular ‘Greek Tragedy’ as they ended the initial set. However, a Wombats greatest hits tour wouldn’t be complete without ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division,’ which they brought back in the encore, and finally a shower of confetti to officially end the show.
Thanks to a catalogue of lively and catchy hits with lyrics that promise to stick in your brain like ‘Throw a banquet in a mosh pit,’ (If You Ever Leave I’m Coming With You) or ‘we’re smashing mic’s in karaoke bars,’ (Greek Tragedy), as well as amazing vocals and a great stage presence both performance wise and special effects wise, a Wombats gig can promise an electric atmosphere and a high chance that you will be leaving with at least one of the songs stuck in your head. The band were even joined by a group of dancing, trumpet playing wombats throughout the show.