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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Josh Leeson

Catfish & The Bottlemen reel out Showtime for long-awaited return

Catfish & The Bottlemen frontman Ryan "Van" McCann on stage at the Civic Theatre in 2019. Picture by Andrew Brassington

UK indie-rock heavyweights Catfish & The Bottlemen will return to Newcastle on September 7 for an outdoor show at the Bar On The Hill's forecourt.

The four-piece from the small Welsh seaside town of Llandudno have been relatively quiet since the pandemic, but broke their period of inactivity in February with the release of the single Showtime.

It was Catfish & The Bottlemen's first new material since their UK No.2 album The Balance in 2019.

In recent months the band have announced a series of return shows in the UK for the northern summer, including a July 11 gig at Liverpool's 32,000-capacity Sefton Park, which has already sold out.

Catfish & The Bottlemen - Showtime

They've also announced an October tour of the US, but before that frontman Ryan "Van" McCann and his bandmates will squeeze in an Australian run of shows.

Last week the 7, Longshot and Kathleen hit-makers dropped a cryptic clue on social media for fans, by posting a black and white photograph of Nobbys Beach.

The Newcastle Herald rated the Catfish & The Bottlemen's performance at the Civic Theatre as the best concert of 2019. Picture by Andrew Brassington

The September 7 University of Newcastle concert will be Catfish & The Bottlemen's first trip back to the Hunter since their sold-out July 2019 gig at the Civic Theatre.

The Newcastle Herald in its 2019 year in review rated the performance as the concert of the year and wrote: "Everybody who had the pleasure of being inside the Civic Theatre on Tuesday night knows they witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The Bar On The Hill has been a popular venue for music promoters and fans this year. Recent gigs from The Hoodoo Gurus (March 23) and Angie McMahon (May 17) drew capacity crowds and this Saturday's show from Sydney rapper Chillinit is sold out.

Alt-rock legends Spiderbait (August 30) and Grinspoon (October 29) have also announced upcoming shows at the Bar On The Hill.

Tickets for Catfish & The Bottlemen's show go on pre-sale on Thursday from 10am, before general public sale begins at 11am on Friday.

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