Marmozets at Borderline, London - live review

It’s almost two years to the day since Marmozets last played the UK and, judging by the buzz in the room tonight, today couldn’t come soon enough. Stepping onstage at this revamped London dive, the Yorkshire punks receive a heroes’ welcome before plunging headfirst into the frenzied Move, Shake, Hide. There’s an initial air of ring rust, which is to be expected, but you can almost taste the energy bursting out onto the floor of baying, sweaty bodies. The band are a mixture of snarls and smiles, exuding that punk coolness we’ve come to expect, but they also look more grown-up, physically and emotionally. Drummer Josh Macintyre puts in a devastating shift, kicking all hell out of his kit, busting his lip in the process, while Becca blows away the cobwebs brilliantly with her aggressive and erratic movements – a reminder that she could effortlessly still kick seven shades out of us. Throughout the night, Marmozets treat us to five new songs, including recent single Play, which already feels at home in the set as pockets of the crowd are singing every word. The next album sounds like it’s not going to be as heavy, but they’re still packing those choruses that the MacIntyre and Bottomley families do so well, hulking like Kong on chest day. And as Becca stands in the middle of the floor, screaming out Why Do You Hate Me? before being crowdsurfed around, it’s both weird and wonderful to see Marmozets back where they belong. Let’s do this again soon, please.