Catfish And The Bottlemen Sell Out The Knitting Factory

Having heard so many great things over the last few years about Catfish And The Bottlemen, I decided it was finally time to catch them in action at the Knitting Factory. Knowing that the show was sold-out and they have a large fanbase of young woman, I headed over early enough to get a coveted spot center stage, but seemingly not early enough- as there was already a large line formed an hour before doors.

Upon entering the venue there were signs posted everywhere stating that the show was being recorded and sure enough there were five massive cameras set up around the modest room. The opening band came on stage in the form of Wild Party – a energetic quartet, with a entertaining vibe and front-man. Wild Party had the sold-out room in it’s hands and is sure to be on our radar here at P&W.

By the time Catfish And The Bottlemen took the stage, the venue was busting at the seams with a noticeable energy that would stay throughout their set. It’s hard to put your finger on the exact style of music the band plays with all the subgenres nowadays but one things for sure – it’s essentially good old fashioned rock n’ roll with a modern twist. The crowd full of teenage girls ate it all up and with phones raised in the air, snapped plenty of Instagram pics.

The set was short in length but big in stature with highlights coming in the form of the wildly popular “Kathleen,” and a jamming version of “Cocoon,” that was super intense. It must be mentioned that they may be one of the more polite bands as well, thanking the crowd early and often for their support and for buying the new album. Despite Van McCann’s sore throat (which he apologized for a few times), he was in fine form, and if anything added a bit of grit to the vocals that fits this dirty city we all love.

For some more info on Catfish – Make sure to read our fascinating interview with Van here and our album review for “The Balcony” here

Article by: Shayne Hanley