Catfish thrill audience after a two year wait

Posted on 6th March 2022

Too bluesy for rock, and too rocky for blues – these are, I hasten to add, guitarist Matt Long’s words, not mine. It’s true the sound that Catfish produces is a sometimes curious hybrid, but that didn’t see to upset anyone attending their gig at the Corn Hall. On the contrary, judging from the enthusiastic reception, the audience were thrilled they had finally made it after two years of repeated rescheduling. Judging from the looks on the faces of the band, the feeling was entirely mutual.

Over the course of two hours, Catfish treated us to a generous selection from their albums Burning Bridges, Broken man and Exile, with each of the eponymous tunes being set highlights. Mixing it up by slowing things down, Soulbreaker and Ghosts provided welcome contrast, but it was Hit the Ground Running that really won me over. Matt Long’s accompanied guitar playing inevitably drew much of the attention, but it wouldn’t have worked without the solid backing of a brilliant rhythm section. Kev Hickman must be the happiest man sitting behind a drum kit working today. Quite apart from his accomplished drumstick twiddling, he was beaming ear to ear throughout. Playing alongside him was new boy Adam Pyke (two years in the band, but only five gigs) whose playing style suggested he’d learned a few lessons from Norman Watt-Roy. Only Paul Long’s keyboard was short changed – buried in the mix, there was something sadly amiss on the night.

Bravely focusing on their own material throughout, I thought they might make an exception for the extended encore, but apart from a nod to Led Zeppelin, they remained true to their mission to deliver their own stuff throughout. Encouraging the audience to both clap and sing along, Matt Long then went full on Jack Black, prowling around the auditorium with his guitar like a man possessed, before returning to the stage for a well-deserved standing ovation.