Catfish and the Bottlemen embark on stadium shows with a return to the Welsh capital, supported by DMA’s and Travis. They provide nothing but an incredible night to prove wrong all those that doubted them. 

Prior to the gig there was lots of discussion on whether the Welsh indie rock band could hold up the atmosphere in a stadium which had hosted some of the most famous acts of recent time. As the time it hit half-ten and the show finished – Catfish and the Bottlemen had proved everyone wrong.

DMA’S

From the time the doors opened, the energy was thunderous, as thousands entered the Principality Stadium in anticipation for what was to come. To start the night off are the perfectly booked DMA’s, increasing the energy.

Throughout their half an hour, they managed to get the whole crowd singing and truly exacerbated that anticipation for an unforgettable night. Their 2020 hit Silver proved its incredible live power, before the band solidified their sing-a-long energy with a cover of Cher’s Believe. There is not a single person sat in silence as everyone there early bursts into “Do you believe in life after love?”

Finishing their set off with classic indie tunes such as Delete and Lay Down, the Australian band’s half-an-hour proved they had fulfilled the exact job they had been booked for – getting everyone excited for a night that guaranteed good music. 

TRAVIS

Following on from such an incredible opening act, everyone knew it would be hard to beat DMA’s support slot, however as Scottish rock heavyweights Travis opened their set to Sing, the stadium lit up once again and the energy continued onwards and upwards.

Although only with limited time, especially for a band with a repertoire of hits ranging from the 90s, a setlist with a perfect mix of old and new classics was curated by the band that fulfilled what was required of them to get everyone warmed up for the main act. 

There was a truly infectious nature as Travis continued through their setlist. Charismatic frontman Fran Healy engaged with the crowd throughout to introduce songs. Whether it was encouraging everyone in the ever-growing crowd to bounce to their hit 1999 single, Why Does It Always Rain On Me?, or even entering the crowd at the barricade and experiencing the excitement for himself during Gaslight, there was nothing more than a contagious, incredible energy throughout the seven songs.

CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN

Despite the excitement and energy DMA’s and Travis provided in the hours prior, there was still a sense of anticipation and unknowing as the minutes counted down to when Catfish and the Bottlemen were due.

The band previously played in the city last year at Cardiff Castle, following a comeback which had fans wanting more. No one truly knew what to expect with their biggest gig to date as rumours of empty stadiums and a no-show had dominated discourse over the past few months. However, as their classic walk-out song, The Beatles’ Helter Skelter, blared through the speakers and the lights started, everyone knew they should expect an incredible night.

ROARING WITH EXCITEMENT 

From their smiling and hyped up entrance, frontman Van McCann knew he had the whole stadium in his hands as all attention was on him. Opening with 2019 hit Longshot gets the whole stadium belting back lyrics, which demonstrates the brilliant atmosphere in the Principality Stadium. By the end of that first track, everyone in that stadium knew that they should never have doubted them.

The repertoire of hits continued with classics such as Kathleen, Soundcheck and Pacifier; having fans echoing back the lyrics to the band as the lights and background curated the perfect backdrop for the infectious energy the band provided. Even adding in a snippet of fellow Welsh band Stereophonics’ The Bartender and the Thief over an already popular guitar solo in Fallout had the crowd roaring with excitement. There was nothing but high-energy and indie bangers throughout the set. 

ACOUSTIC SURPRISES 

Perhaps one of the highlights for many Catfish and the Bottlemen fans on the night had to be when the chords to Heathrow began to play for the first time since 2019. The popular album track from The Ride is a surprise to many, but after previous surprise acoustic performances of Glasgow and Hourglass in gigs prior to Cardiff, there was some level of suspense as to whether there would be some unexpected changes to the setlist.

As the acoustic fan-favourite Heathrow blended into the extended hit of Business, there was something for everyone provided, no matter what type of songs were your favourite. Whether or not you were a Catfish and the Bottlemen fan in the stadium, there was no denying the energy in the middle of the set had the stadium rocking.

EXTENDED EXCELLENCE 

The final songs of the show had a lot to live up to, but as Catfish embarked onto their usual ender before the encore, Outside, the energy continued – and if not, got better. As the final song on their 2016 classic album The Ride, Outside is guaranteed to be the perfect finale before the encore, but the live version just provides a different kind of energy that bands rarely achieve. 

From the extended intro, extended bridge, and even extended outro, the blend of guitars and vocals provided an incredible closer for the crowd to sing and jump along to as the lights flashed and the band matched the energy on stage. 

Following on from an acoustic performance of Hourglass to open encore, the band perfectly created this setlist to end the show on 3 high-energy, electrifying songs. From the 2019 single Fluctuate which had the whole stadium bouncing, to perhaps their most famous songs of 7 and Cocoon to conclude the night.

Both ending with extended outros and sing-a-long choruses, the crowd continued to chant for more despite the show reaching an end – truly demonstrating the hold they had on the stadium. Van McCann returns to the stage after the band leave to sing another rendition of the last chorus, highlighting the contagious excitement he had inflicted on the crowd through their spectrum of hits. 

WHAT NEXT?

If the rumours of a new album are true and the band continue the extensive collection of hits they hold, they could have played that stadium all night, and had the crowd excited for every song. 

You can have all the debates you want about Catfish and the Bottlemen’s comeback, and whether they should be playing stadiums of that size, but after Cardiff nothing can be denied that they are one of the greatest live bands of this generation. 

Catfish and The Bottlemen: Website / X / Facebook / Instagram

Travis: Website / X / Facebook / Instagram

DMA’s: Website / X / Facebook / Instagram

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