Are Catfish And The Bottlemen Still Together 2022

[Billy Habash]

Withhits like 'Kathleen', 'Longshot' and 'Homesick', it's no wonder they won British Breakthrough Act at the BRIT Awards in 2016. They've already got three albums to their name, with a fourth reportedly in the works, so now might be the time to learn all about the Welsh band...

Although the lads haven't said very much about their return to the spotlight, they did post a series of Instagram posts throughout February 2024, culminating in the release of their new single 'Showtime' and some gig anouncements.

The band will perform at Cardiff Castle on 19th July 2024 as well as Edinburgh Summer Sessions on 24th August 2024. This comes after the announcement that they would be headlining Reading and Leeds Festival 21st - 25th August.

A bit of backstory... Catfish and the Bottlemen were due to support fellow Welsh rockers Stereophonics at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in December 2021 - a gig that was postponed to June 2022 due to COVID-19. However, Stereophonics confirmed that Catfish would no longer support them due to "unforeseen practical issues".

Following this news, Johnny Bond released his own statement, announcing that he'd actually left the band in March 2021, writing: 'To put it simply, I feel that both the professional and personal relationships had become entirely dysfunctional.'

He added: 'I certainly don't want this post to be entirely negative ... You have given me some incredible experiences that will stick with me forever ... I sincerely appreciate you and feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced all of this together and met so many incredible people.'

Van began playing guitar with his pal Bibby in 2007 at the latter's parents' home, which was a Bed & Breakfast hotel. They met after being introduced by Bibby's brother, who was a friend of Van's, performing under the name The Prestige.

They drafted in Benji on bass, and schoolmate Jon joined on the drums shortly after. Bibby taught both Van and Benji to play guitar, having played himself since the age of 10. The band gained a fanbase by playing as a support act to others, and by playing in car parks after big gigs like Kasabian.

Jon left the band in 2010, and was replaced by Bob Hall after being introduced to Catfish by a producer, and Bibby left in 2014 quite suddenly, being replaced by Johnny Bond. The band released a statement on Facebook in August 2014 about his departure.

It read: 'Some of you will have noticed that we have been playing with a different guitarist over the past weekend. Unfortunately, due to some personal circumstances, Billy won't be touring with the band for the foreseeable future.'

They're from Llandudno in North Wales. Van was born in Australia, but his family moved back to Wales when he was very young. Van spoke about his family story in a video posted to the band's YouTube channel in 2014, saying that his mum had struggled to have children due to a road accident when she was younger.

Van also explains this in the video, explaining that the inspiration for the band name came from one of his earliest memories in Australia: "I remember being plodded outside a cafe, watching this guy. He had a washing line with bottles hanging off it and he used to play it like a drum kit. He was called Catfish The Bottle Man.

The band's namesake is a native Australian named Michael Bevan, and wrote about his life in a blog post: 'In December 2000, I quit my job and decided to follow my heart and play music. I soon ran out of money and was looking for ideas.

'I was living in a crazy share house with about ten others in Glebe Sydney. There were plenty of beer bottles lying around so I decided I'd try tuning them up. In the early days, when I was still living in that crazy share house, I had a crazy beard.

'I had three long spikes coming out of each cheek, a spiky goatee and a spiky moustache. My flatmates started calling me Catfish and the name stuck. Once I became a full-time beer bottle player I naturally became Catfish the Bottleman.'

The lyrics are written by Van, with the whole band collaborating on the music. Van told Baeble in 2015: "My dad raised me to say what you mean, and mean what you say. You get to writing better, to be honest with you, do you know what I mean?

So far, Catfish have released three albums - debut album 'The Balcony' in 2014, follow-up album 'The Ride' in 2016 and third album 'The Balance' in 2019. The band immediately started working on their fourth record, saying in August 2019 that the music is "already written" and that it's "underway".

In 2014, the band spoke to Bristol Beats Club ahead of their debut album being released, and Van explained the track: "It's a song about being madly infatuated with somebody, you know like when you really love them... When you can't stand them but you can't stay away from them.

"Those kind of people. It's about one of those when something just keeps bringing you back to somebody, and you're like, 'I don't wanna do this but I can't stop ringing them', like when you drink and you wake up and wish you never went round.

The Welsh alternative rock group formed thirteen years ago and rehearsed by playing countless Beatles covers. Three years later, they were signed to a record label owned and run by Mumford & Sons keyboard player Ben Lovett. Their music feels real and straightforward and as though I've known it my whole life. It's like a fresh nostalgia focused on bringing big guitar choruses back into the spotlight. To tie it all together, frontman McCann exudes and exemplifies charisma. He reminds me of Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner, but more carefree and with triple the energy.

A few years ago, when I first discovered the band, I remember coming across one song and then bingeing the rest of the album before doing anything else. I couldn't get enough of every breath they uttered. Now I want to - no, have to share that with you. You've probably heard some of their hits like "2all," "Kathleen," "7," and "Soundcheck," and I love those songs. However, I wanted to dedicate a post to a deep dive into their lesser-known, yet equally incredible, tunes.

First up is "Anything," which also happens to feature the first solo I learned on guitar. Steady snare drums beat as a fuzzy, distorted guitar wails in the solo before the song closes with a massive final chorus.

Catfish and the Bottlemen frequently sprinkle specific lines throughout their tracks that recount everyday events and thoughts I would never think to reflect on because they seem so insignificant. However, those trivial details are what makes me, and I think a lot of other people, feel connected to their lyrics. Just the line "and though you'll mix up every detail of every story that you're ever gonna tell me" makes me immediately think of some of my friends, family, and even myself. I bet you've already got someone in mind too.

It seems crazy to me to label "Homesick" as one of the band's lesser-known hits since this was one of the first songs of theirs I heard. However, it is severely underrated and under-appreciated. With its speaker-shattering chorus, it belongs right up there with other Catfish powerhouses like "Kathleen" and "Soundcheck."

Once again, this song helped me achieve another milestone in my guitar journey. The part in the very beginning where the guitar notes follow the verse's melody and then go off on their own was the first fingerpicking riff I learned. I remember when I finally perfected it, I couldn't stop playing it over. My little sister definitely loved me for that one.

With a ticking hi-hat and McCann's electric guitar strumming, the verse starts slowly and simply before it builds in the pre-chorus and explodes with a "hey!" in the chorus. I remember when I first saw Catfish live I was in the center of the balcony at the House of Blues. From there, I could see that almost everybody shot their fist into the air as they scream-sang the "hey." That liveliness carried to every fan standing around me, all the way up to the third floor. Their fists quickly unfolded so their arms could reach out to sing the next line. Red lights flashed from the stage and Bond's guitar sounded notes continuously climbing higher, amplifying the energy.

For me, it was one of those striking moments during a show where you realize the band and their music means an inexplicably large amount to everyone in the room. I was proud and grateful to be there experiencing it all with such passionate fans.

"26" vocalizes the alt-rock band's slight pop influence. With a bright guitar tone and "ooh's" that follow along, it proves to be a super catchy tune that's fun and melodic. However, the band doesn't come close to abandoning their alternative roots. After about only a handful of words, McCann unleashes the raspy side of his voice.

As a fan of mostly rock and pop-punk music, I love how much grit he uses here. If you're like me and have a weakness to this style of singing, you should hear these guys live. Not only do they all add new parts to some of the solos and know how to entertain a crowd, but McCann's unedited voice is astounding. As he's running about the stage tangling himself up in guitar cables and clumsily knocking over the mic stand regularly, he lets his voice progress into an untethered level of howling raspiness. Everything about his performance looks freeing, and that feeling is contagious.

What struck me the most, and continues to strike me about this song, are the lyrics. Back in high school, I was chasing complete freedom and detachment. "Postpone" is an ode to pausing every day responsibilities to prioritize your happiness. It's about breaking routine, leaving your small hometown, and living without constantly placing limitations on yourself.

Growing up, I felt extremely restricted with what I was allowed to say and do, especially in social situations with adults. I was taught to always be polite, but I ended up associating politeness with compliance. So, I would barely say or do anything original because I knew agreeing was a safe option. All that passivity drove me to a point where I was tired of constantly filtering or keeping in every thought, word, and move. It felt like I was drowning in submission and losing myself in the process.

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