2014 was a very exciting year for Yorkshire quintet Marmozets, having seen their debut album The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets be received well the world over by music critics who slowly but surely praised their mainstream rock/hardcore metal crossover style. On the 7th of March the band played their first ever headline show in Holland at the Paradiso Noord in Amsterdam.
Following a short and promising set from the relatively unknown Bartek, Marmozets took to the stage as am ambient intro played over the PA. Set opener Move, Shake, Hide saw the Becca MacIntyre-fronted group rocket around stage at high speeds as a stadium-sized chorus made way for MacIntyre’s manic screams. Her brother (and second guitarist) Sam provided backing vocals throughout the evening, perfectly complementing the manic screams she went on to demonstrate during a high-octane rendition of Is It Horrible? A strummed intro riff courtesy of fellow guitarist Jack Bottomley helped set the pace as Marmozets pulled another stadium chorus out of the bag, before Weird and Wonderful sped up a bit more with an almost danceable verse. The Arctic Monkeys-goes-metal of Love You Good saw Becca intensively repeat the line “I like the way that you look” ahead of a moshpit-guaranteeing chorus. Unfortunately, not enough tickets were sold for the show which meant that the evening was poorly attended. Love You Good is by far Marmozets’ most energetic and accessible song, with early single Captivate You going down the simple, alternative rock route. “And I will captivate you, with everything I’ve got, to bring the best out in you” sang MacIntyre beautifully as her band demonstrated their anthemic side.
Although crowd interaction was kept somewhat at a minimum, Becca did take out a moment to tell the crowd how they love touring and that it’s “good for them”, before breaking into the bass-heavy Particle. This song perfectly showcases bassist Will Bottomley’s technical skill, keeping the track flowing through differing time signatures and a face-melting outro. Hit the Wave slowed the pace down slightly with more alternative elements making an appearance, before a massive chorus of “hit the wave, pull me under, cleanse a soul and make it better” aurally assaulted the audience. Born Young and Free made for the late introduction of the evening’s first moshpit as the pace spec right up as Becca furiously howled “we’re born young and free” numerous times. The award for the most batshit crazy song of the evening went Vibetech, a song whose time changes send your brain into meltdown. This is where the moshpits got crazy, with Vibetech showcasimg some of the evening’s best instrumental work. “Show me what you got, show me what you know” demanded Becca as the track went absolutely mental. It was the best part of the show by far, making way for penultimate track Back To You. This was the evening’s “ballad moment,” as Becca reached out to the 200 strong crowd in the hope they would sing with her. “And I’m calling back to you” she sang with beautifully emotional intensity, as one man sang every word back to her almost as loud as the blonde frontwoman herself. Set closer Why Do You Hate Me? saw Sam promise the first stagediver a free t-shirt, only for said stagediver to be clattered to the ground by an equally ambitious fan before anyone had even leaped off of the stage.
By the time Marmozets had departed the stage themselves, the crowd were asking for far more than they got. For a band with as much energy as Marmozets, you’d forgive them for playing a mere 11 songs even if it does mean leaving out some fantastic older material such as Good Days or Skin. Marmozets will be a household name in a few years time, a fact we can state without any doubt.
