This isn’t your usual Wombats show. Not because it isn’t full of the euphoric alternative pop hits, they consistently release but because tonight in Coventry we’re here for ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ in full.
It’s ambitious to sell-out shows with the promise of unheard material taking the forefront but this doesn’t seem to have deterred a generational spanning crowd from singing, dancing, and screaming for a band that has come a long way since the trickling riffs of ‘Moving to New York’.
Lovestruck lyrics from Matthew Murphy are plentiful. Their new material combines the best elements of synth-rock, pop anthems, and a dash of the electronic in a reserved fashion that doesn’t compromise the thin line they tread as suppliers of bopping alternate rock. As the album title and tracklist suggest, this is an upbeat and sweet take on the cliché life-affirming statements uttered throughout our lives; ‘People Don’t Change People, Time Does’, ‘Method to the Madness’ and ‘Don’t Poke the Bear’.
‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming with You’ is the fast-paced single that delivers the feet tapping melodies and wacky vocals which sees the crowd at their most raucous amongst the new tracks. “This song has a really really miserable title, but I promise you it’s not” Murphy exclaims before introducing ‘Everything I love Is going to die’ – you might have to listen to this one to believe his words.
Undeniably it’s an encore of familiarity that brings the atmosphere to its peak. The opening of ‘Greek Tragedy’ is met with ecstatic cheers as the anthemic chorus casts its spell. A true testament to The Wombat’s faith in their audience, Murphy now turns his mic around for their penultimate track. Its Wombats karaoke in Cov as the entirety of ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ is shouted towards the stage as the band provides the backing.
‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ delivers what The Wombats do best and we can only speculate on what will come hereafter. Greatest hits tour anyone?
Photos & Words by Jacob F