The Wombats absolutely lit up Bournemouth International Centre on their Oh! The Tour stop. The place was heaving with indie fans of all ages, all pulled in by that classic early 2000s Wombats charm mixed with the modern synthy vibes from their new album Oh! The Ocean.
Right from the start the energy was buzzing. They eased us in with the dreamy slow-build of “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come.” Then, without warning, they slammed straight into “Moving to New York” while a massive person in a badger suit tore around the stage firing confetti cannons into the crowd. It was chaotic in the best possible way and instantly set the mood.
“Ready for the High” went down a treat too, those big synths shaking the room and keeping everyone bouncing. Midway through, they stripped everything back for an acoustic ‘Lethal Combination’ – which was a surprisingly lovely breather and a reminder of how many different sounds they can pull off in one set.
The trio didn’t stand still for a second, constantly darting across the stage, jumping together, leaning into the crowd at the barrier, and just generally feeding off the room. It felt like a proper indie gig: sweaty, loud, and full of people who genuinely love this band.
The encore, obviously, was loaded with the classics: “Greek Tragedy” and the huge closer “Let’s Dance to Joy Division.” As that iconic chorus kicked in, giant balloons dropped from the ceiling and the whole arena just erupted – everyone singing, bouncing, and grinning like they’d just been transported back to peak indie sleaze.
“Christmas came early for me!”
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