Review – The Zutons, Marble Factory, Bristol, April 12th 2024

The Zutons - Marble Factory, Bristol - 14th April 2024

If you went to an indie disco, festival or even turned on the radio at any point between 2004 and 2009 then part of your life was soundtracked by The Zutons. The Liverpudlian indie band split 15 years ago but have now regrouped for their Nile Rodgers and Ian Broudie-produced fourth album, “The Big Decider”.

They played 22 sold out shows at intimate venues earlier this year and that practice is evident in the polished performance this evening. Marble Factory is the first gig of the ‘proper’ tour in support of the new LP which is released at the end of the month. Not all of the original members are on board as some continue to pursue other projects such as bassist Russell Pritchard who is now a full-time member of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. We do have original trio Dave, Sean and Abi who all seem genuinely thrilled to be playing together again.

Of course, when a band reforms, the audience is keen for an exercise in nostalgia and The Zutons are more than happy to deliver. They open with two tracks from their Mercury-nominated debut “Who Killed……The Zutons?” (“Zuton Fever” and “Confusion”) and we’re immediately transported back to the days of NME magazine, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and sticky dancefloors. By the time buoyant banger “Don’t Ever Think (Too Much)” kicks in, you could almost be tempted to trade your Bristol Beer Factory pint for a Carling. Almost.

Abi Harding’s saxophone skills are a staple of The Zutons’ sound and are rightly front and centre for most of the show especially those signature moments of “Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love” and “Remember Me”. Such is their importance, it’s easy to forget what an excellent vocalist she is. Her voice sounds stronger and more distinctive than it was on record and it’s put to great use tonight including for a harmonies-focused performance of an unreleased track from the new record.

Unsurprisingly, karaoke classic “Valerie” generates an elated response. However, this is more than just a golden oldies run as the band showcase 6 songs from their new album. It can often be difficult for bands from this era to retain the attention of an audience for new and unreleased material but the crowd are just as absorbed in songs like “Pauline” and “Disappear” as they are in classics like “Pressure Point”. You would be forgiven for thinking that recent single, “Creeping on the Dancefloor”, was an old favourite based on the reaction tonight.

The 90-minute set closes with indie classic “You Will You Won’t” and a reprise of “Zuton Fever”, both demonstrating what a technically proficient and – perhaps more importantly – fun live band The Zutons are.