Photo Credit: Izzy Shield
Concluding their ‘Oh! The Ocean’ UK tour with a night in Yorkshire, legendary indie trio THE WOMBATS graced the First Direct Arena in Leeds to bring tracks from their new record to life, as well as play all the classics from their nearly 20 year existence.
Returning to the arena for the first time since 2016, EVERYTHING EVERYTHING made their way onto the stage to warm up the crowd. Opening with ‘The Mad Stone‘ from their most recent record ‘Mountainhead‘ to ease in to the set with some of their latest material. It was ‘Kemosabe’ that picked up the enthusiasm across the room, as Higgs’ heavenly vocals, which are further showcased in ‘Cough Cough‘ and ‘Get To Heaven‘, continue to elevate him as a unique frontman. Utilising their 10-song set with a mixture of songs from all of their albums, the band concluded their support slot with ‘No Reptiles‘ to round off a positive start to 2025.
The Leeds crowd was pumped up from the moment THE WOMBATS made their grand entrance to a roar that filled the arena. Starting with ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come’, it was ‘Moving To New York’ that got the crowd going. The band’s debut single remains a clear favourite among their fan base, with the Yorkshire mob getting up and singing at the top of their lungs throughout the song. The electric ‘Techno Fan’ soon followed, giving the audience something even more upbeat to join in with. Knudsen’s “woo’s” were effortlessly matched by the crowded audience, and Murph’s vocals were as flawless as the recorded version.
The set list was filled with more songs from their new album, such as “Kate Moss” and “I Love America and She Hates Me,” which gave the new songs their live runout. “Ready for the High” featured a person wearing a wombat suit playing a trombone, and the extra member let loose for the song’s epic finale while clinging to Murph and Knudsen. Voices flooded in for the “Bridget Jones” part of Kill the Director, another fan favourite. In order to create the mood for this soothing song, the arena was lit with phone torches as Murph stayed on stage for a solo performance of “Lethal Consumption.” The band then returned to the stage.
As expected, the set list was filled with further material from ‘Oh! The Ocean’ including ‘Kate Moss and ‘I Love America and She Hates Me’. All of a sudden, someone dressed in a wombat suit made their way on to the stage with a trombone to join in for ‘Ready for the High’, with everyone in the arena laughing as they strutted around the stage, clinging on to Murph and Knudsen whilst they tried to finish the song. Voices flooded in for the “this is no Bridget Jones” section of ‘Kill the Director’, proving once again that this still remains a clear favourite amongst their fanbase. Both Knudsen and Haggis exited the stage, leaving Murph to entertain the crowd for a soothing rendition of ‘Lethal Consumption’, with the arena fully lit with phone torches to set the tone before the band returned to the stage.
‘Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)‘ accelerated the crowd once more, laying the groundwork for the set’s final portion, concluding with ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division‘. As was customary for the Merseyside band, they were joined on stage by three more people in wombat costumes, who danced around the stage to give the crowd something to laugh about once again. THE WOMBATS (and wombats) exited the stage, with an encore looming. Returning to the stage once again, the trio opened with ‘Can’t Say No’ with the audience picking up where they left off. Finally, ‘Greek Tragedy’ came around to conclude the bands final night of their UK tour, with the Leeds crowd met with a balloon drop from the top of the arena, as they inflatables began bouncing around the venue for the grand finale.
The Wombats return to the UK for a series of outdoor shows this summer before concluding their 2025 with another UK tour. More info HERE.
Taped Magazine 