Acclaimed indie-rock band, The Wombats, went back their roots and performed a live set at HMV’s Liverpool One store, which was packed with their fans.
The free gig was organised to promote their first album in over a year – ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life’ – and was a nod to previous performances a decade a go in the old HMV store in the town centre.
Fans were seen queueing up for nearly two hours to get their hands on the new release, as the Liverpool group welcomed and thanked their followers, who had turned up in their hundreds, for their support.
The LIPA graduates performed a set which lasted 30 minutes, playing a mixture of their most well-known hits and some of their new material.
YouTube: Marcello Dotolo
Fittingly, the band played their hit tune, ‘Lets Dance To Joy Division’, which opens with the lyric: “I’m back in Liverpool and everything seems the same!”
After the show, a meet-and-greet was set up on the second floor, allowing fans to get a chance to have a selfie with the band. However, due to the high volume of people, some were left disappointed with the brief encounter as they were told by security to move on quickly.
Luke Connington, 32, has followed the Wombats since they broke thorough on the British music scene after winning NME album of the year 2007, said: “Yes, I was little disappointed I didn’t get much a chance to chat, but I’m not too worried. I’m really happy I got to see them for free in my own city.
“I paid for V-fest tickets last year just to see them so this was definitely a cool way to see one of my favourite bands.”
After a tour which featured performances in the United States and Australia, plus an evening set at Hanger 34 in Greenland Street, lead singer Matthew Murphy said: “It’s great to be back home, Liverpool is where were from so it’s nice to see so many welcoming faces.”