By Tarynn Law

The four Welsh lads in Catfish and the Bottlemen have seen a rise in popularity that could only be called meteoric, having gone from playing a half-full Echo in the middle of October to selling out the famed Troubadour faster than you can say “Catfish and the Bottlemen.” On Monday night, frontman Van McCann noted that it had taken them eight years to sell out a venue the size of the Troubadour in their native U.K., making it pretty clear that they were thrilled to be there that night.

McCann and bandmates Johnny Bond, Benji Blakeway and Bob Hall took the stage to “Roses” by OutKast, and the screams of the fans were impassioned for a band that had just released their debut album, “The Balcony,” in September. Before they even
began their first song, they let everyone know that they meant business as  Bond went into a face-melting guitar solo that provided a backbone for the rest of the set — gimmick-free, straight-ahead rock ’n’ roll that could just as easily fill arenas as it did the Troubadour.

By the time their set was over, not only had they flown through “The Balcony” in its entirety (including a beautiful acoustic rendition of “Hourglass”), but they proved themselves to be endearing as well. Not only did they give love to their hardworking guitar tech Larry, who has been best friends with McCann for 10 years, but they also made quick pals with a mega-fan near the front, grabbing his name and dedicating a song to him. It’s small gestures like those that bring a smile to anyone’s face and shine a friendly light on the band who are still relatively new to our shores. (And have you ever seen a guitar tech hounded for selfies with the audience members?)

While “the Balcony” received mixed reviews when it was released, Catfish and the Bottlemen proved the real deal live, exhibiting the drive and passion of a far bigger band.

Openers Wild Party provided a decent set of party rock but left a bad taste when their vocalist Lincoln Kreifels told a story about a woman at a previous show describing the band as “more like mild party,” calling her “a bitch.” It was a pretty funny joke that could have just been left at that, without the added dose of sexism, and deterred from what could have been a pretty strong set.

Photo by Trina Green