The Wombats review, Alexandra Palace, London: Rip-roaring, energetic performance

Band have made a triumphant return with their new album 'Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life'

The Wombats perform at Alexandra Palace (Jennifer McCord)

The Wombats continued on their rise to the top with a rip-roaring, energetic live show at Alexandra Palace in London.

The Liverpool natives have been on the scene for 15 years now, however it’s only recently that they have begun to hit the same heights as they did with their debut album A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation. Opening their set with new single and Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life opener “Cheetah Tongue”, set the precedence for the evening.

The indie rockers had to stop their rendition of “Kill The Director” on three separate occasions as the sold-out crowd edged further towards the stage, causing a young fan to faint. Ever the professional, lead singer Murphy and co were able to pick up and finish the track without a hitch, after making sure everyone was OK (of course).

Dipping back into their archive with tracks from The Modern Glitch, which hit number 3 in the UK Album Charts, you realise just how many great tracks The Wombats have recorded over the years. The night turned into something of a walk down memory lane for every twenty-something in attendance. Even more so when “Pink Lemonade” was preceded by a rather personal anecdote in which Murphy went to Barcelona for inspiration... only to find his then-partner cheating on him.

Arguably their most beloved indie anthem “Let’s Dance to Joy Division”, winner of NME’s Best Dance Floor Filler in 2008, brought back the positive vibes, as people dressed as wombats danced around on stage with the band. An performance of “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)” makes the crowd roar one more time, with a cascade of giant balloons falling from the ceiling and a downpour of confetti ending the party on a high.