It’s a freezing cold Wednesday evening, at 8pm the doors of The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth will give way for tonights sold out show. Already, fans are queuing round the block to see Yorkshire rockers Marmozets. Since releasing their debut album ‘The Weird and Wonderful’ in 2014, there has been a lot of excitement around the band. They are well known for their insane time signature changes and most importantly, their ability to deliver live, an example of this is them placing the drum kit in the centre of the mosh pit. Given how crazy people get at these shows, it’s a brave move.

 

First up tonight is Thought Forms. They fill the room with their atmospheric, chilled out vibes, which came as a surprise given the next two bands on the bill. If there was a sound that could describe my first year of university, it would be this. Sometimes the notes clash, sometimes they are beyond perfect, but they keep it audibly interesting throughout. The vocal harmonies are spine chilling and the depth of expression on each member’s faces really reflects the tone of each song. Watching them is like watching a band jam, everything down to the way they play their instruments is natural and un-staged. They leave having hardly said a word, but it is clear what they have delivered is art.

 

Steak Number Eight are on next and there are no surprises here, they are loud and full of energy. They captivate the room in a very different way to Thought Forms, but there’s still a lot of positive energy and the crowd eagerly await the coming insanity as the songs get progressively heavier. It is clear watching this band that they have a very close relationship with each other, they move as one and exchange grins every so often. Charismatic frontman Brent Vanneste knows how to engage a crowd, and after a few songs everyone is clapping to the beat and head banging.

 

Finally, it’s the moment everyone has been waiting for, Marmozets. They open up with ‘Move Shake Hide’ which proved to be wildly popular after its release in 2013. A pit opens up and people start to go flying. For those who haven’t seen the band before, this would be exactly what they had expected. The energy reflects from stage to crowd and even the security are enjoying it. Front woman Becca Macintyre says a few words about how grateful they are to be playing in Portsmouth again, before diving into the next two numbers.

 

There is a shaky start to fourth song ‘Love You Good’, but the band quickly recover and it’s as if the crowd haven’t noticed, or they simply don’t care. The aura is so positive at this point even I start to feel emotional, which isn’t helped by the next song, ‘Captivate You’. In which singer Becca allows her voice to crack with pride. It’s clear she is fighting back tears and quite rightly so, the band have the audience in the palm of their hands. They have come a long way from supporting Young Guns on the same stage hardly three years ago.

 

After taking the room on an emotional rollercoaster they play ‘Broken Reflections’, which with its dark and rhythmic beginning brings the audience back to dancing, moshing and/or head banging.  They talk to the audience some more about their love for music and show their appreciation for the first bands that played. The energy doesn’t drop, song after song it builds and builds, by the time they play ‘Vibetech’ the room is a mess of sweat and beer, the sign of any decent gig. This song requires a lot of communication between members with its five time signature changes, but all are well rehearsed, and played with ease. Bringing a much needed down song to the table, everyone sings along and sheds a few tears to ‘Back To You’.

 

Things brings the night to its final minutes. It is clear how thankful Marmozets are for their fans, and tonight is proof their hard work touring and writing has paid off. They close the show with ‘Why Do You Hate Me?’ The crowd erupts, the same liveliness from before is doubled, and even after the band leave the stage everyone spills into Portsmouth’s streets, slightly deaf and shouting about bruises and how great their night was, whose guitar pick they caught and not one complaint about the cold can be heard.