Coming out of their “Cocoon” | Catfish and the Bottlemen reach stadium success
LIVE REVIEW | CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN w/ James & DMA’s | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM, LONDON 3rd August 2025 by Joe Fiddler
Van McCann told us once he had headlined Leeds he’d be back, it’s safe to say he didn’t let us down. An integral member of the 2010s Indie scene, Catfish and the Bottlemen soared to stardom with a string of 3 hit albums, before flying to close to the sun in 2021 with key members Johnny Bond and Bob Hall leaving the band due to its dysfunctional nature. Catfish were seemingly gone for good, with frontman Van McCann becoming more elusive then ever, fans became sceptical they would ever hear anything from the band again. Finally, the radio static was broken in 2023 with the announcement of Catfish’s return to Reading and Leeds, shortly followed by the release of their single “Showtime”.
Further shows across the UK, North America and Australia were subsequently announced, with Van McCann seemingly ‘back to the graft again’. However, the shows were lacklustre, Van seemed strung out, the band were disjointed, late or simply not there at all. The Bottlemen had become the Bottleman. Then returned the ever familiar sound of radio static, fans were left unsure as to what to expect from a Catfish stadium show, with many critics sneering at the prospect.
Fast forward to August 2025, just down the road from the 90s Britpop revival, Catfish set to take stage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a return of their own, supported by cult icons James and DMA’s, resulting in a night any indie fan would struggle to turn their nose up at.
Kicking off the night, with a subtle nod to Vans’ Australian heritage, DMA’s impassioned pop-rock set lends itself perfectly to a stadium setting, offering a slightly softer pallet than the guitar-led rock of Catfish to come. Opening up with the title track from their second album “For Now”, the band took us on an exploration of their discography, while of course playing their classic rendition of the iconic “Believe” by Cher ringing out to the upper echelons of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. As DMA’s “Lay down” their guitars, the crowd are enraptured by the anthems displayed by the band, with frontman Tommy O’Dell expertly dictating them, cheers and jeers echoing at his command. The Aussies were whisked off into the night, pint in hand, having kicked off one revival they were off to see a reunion themself, Oasis.
Next up were James, who simply put are a class act, the epitome of professionalism in an industry lacking such feature. Iconic frontman Tim Booth warned fans to strap in from the get go, stating the band love to steer off path and improvise throughout the set, only building the tension within the stadium. Booths’ vocals were pitch perfect, even for classics such as “Laid” and “Sit Down” both of which crowds still lap up with open arms almost 3 decades after their release. The entourage surrounding Tim Booth seemed to grow with every blink, with the nonet taking to the stage armed with varying instruments, out in full force they gave a somewhat orchestral performance, suiting the acoustics of a stadium perfectly. However, the intimacy of interaction was not forgotten in this showmanship, but relished by the frontman as he galloped into the crowd while still hitting every note, not taking a second to breathe, instead conversing with the crowd throughout. They even took a moment to speak on the political landscape of America, with a brooding rendition of their song “Heads”. As the last notes of “Sound” rang out and James left the stage, fans were left waiting, hopeful, but anxious for what was to come.
From the word “go”, you could feel the Bottlemen were back in full force, with Van immediately teasing fans to “bring it on London”. The crowd erupted with enthusiasm, echoing the energy of Vans’ dynamic presence as he relished the opportunity to be hailed with stadium status. The band seemed to have the weight of the world off their shoulders, a stark contrast from the performances of the past. The tight musicianship of the band, paired with Vans’ trademark let loose energy made for a real viewing as they reeled off fan favourite after fan favourite.
As the soaring chords of “Pacifier” rang out, inflatable crocodiles plateaued down on the transient crowd, McCann’s mysticism cracking a little as a cheshire grin sneaked its way onto his face throughout. With its namesake a mere tube ride away, there was no more fitting song to play than “Heathrow”, Van played alone, the masses before him left in awe harmonising in what really was a beautiful moment. The rest of the band awaited eagerly, finger on the trigger, for the last hanging chords as they bolted straight into “Business” seamlessly, the stadium was now more than ever alive, pints are in the air, T-shirts are off and the last remaining crocodiles still slice across the waves below.
After a bit more dancing, the crowd fell silent as Van stood alone acoustic guitar in hand, the melodic beauty of “Hourglass” rang out, with McCann dropping in and out of vocals allowing the crowd to carry the weight of the words he’d written. It really felt like a seminal moment for Catfish, that despite all the setbacks before, a stadium still stands and sings back every word.
As the night came to a close Catfish put on a jaw dropping rendition of “Cocoon”, flexing their creative prowess they incorporated a verse from Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” as the song faded out, a moment of showmanship you simply cannot replicate. Tearing out their ‘cacoon’ in full form, Catfish shredded up a 10 minute rendition of “Tryants” for the first time since 2019, to close the night. Catfish completely let loose in a way we’ve not seen in years, guitar licks were traded, the drumming was as tight as ever, by the end I was left questioning whether it was a first step or a farewell. It really felt like a band back in their full form, in sync, not collapsing to the trepidation surrounding stadium shows, silencing the critics.
Despite all the tribulation of the past, and the questions still surrounding the band, Catfish and the Bottlemen undoubtably cemented their stadium status with that performance. In 2015, Van told Rachel Zimmerman of mxdwn;
“My Dad used to drive us through it both mentally and literally. He was like, ‘If you’re going to do this, do it properly. Try and take over the world. Make your mum proud. Don’t fret. . Don’t be just like these bands who come around, do one album get drugged up, and disappear. Give people a band to believe in.’ You know what I mean? So, him just kind of saying that. I got kicked out of school and he was like, ‘You’re not going to be a waster. You’ve got talent and you can do something with your life.’ It’s in there. It’s not in your blood, it’s in your heart.” – Van McCann
His Dad was right. Catfish and the Bottlemen are a band you can believe in.
