The Zutons

Opening for the Zutons is another Liverpool band, Casino. The conditions are stacked against them - they are playing at 7pm, most of the audience has not arrived yet and Dillon Kelly, the lead singer, is sipping tea between and during songs to try and prevent his increasingly croaky voice from being completely defeated by a pesky cold. Yet they manage to deliver a solid performance and engage nicely with the audience. Listening to their track Back in the Day and a few covers online, it’s a shame we didn’t get to hear Dillon Kelly’s full vocal range. With songs drawing from blues and Motown influences, with a groovy, powerful rhythm section, their set was still enjoyable but you could only hear hints of the very recognisable Liverpool indie sound that seems to usually lace their music. I am looking forward to hearing more from them.

Casino

7.30ish pm, Casino has left the stage and the wait for the Zutons begins. The Waterfront is slowly but surely filling up. I must admit I am feeling both excited and apprehensive. We’ve been waiting 16 years for a new album from the Zutons and the problem when one of your favourite bands waits that long to release new material is that it’s a bit like reconnecting with a long-lost friend – you never know if you’ll just pick up right where you left off or if you’re about to realise that you have grown apart and have nothing left in common. Will the magic be gone? Will Dave McCabe have lost his voice? We all know what it feels like to go and see a band you loved decades earlier and sadly realise the singer can’t sing their hits anymore.

The Zutons

It’s the moment of truth. The Zutons step onto the stage and immediately put me out of my misery with a pulsating rendering of Zuton Fever. The crowd erupts and gleefully sings at the top of their lungs - words and saxophone’s licks alike. To everyone’s delight, the band then goes on to play more hits from the first two albums - Hello Conscience, Dirty Dancehall, Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love before reaching their habitual heady heights with Pressure Point. I’m already exhausted by then. Time for a breather which comes in the form of two songs from the new album, the Big Decider, which is due out on April 26th 2024. No one knows the tracks and the atmosphere slumps slightly, especially since these are much slower, soulful numbers. They are both very good songs though and I liked how Disappear ended with a spoken piece read by Nile Rogers - who produced the new album along with historic producer Ian Broudie. I thought it was a nice touch.

The Zutons

After Rise, the energy level picks up again with another Zutons classic, Confusion. Once again, the crowd sings every single word - and licks - they can and showers the band with love. Dave McCabe seems to relax and warm up to the “beautiful people of Norwich”. We’re then treated to two new songs, Best of me and Big Decider. Both are catchy and lively and the transition from old to new is a lot more seamless, this time. Everyone seems to get used to the new album’s sound. The excitement continues to ramp up with three much-loved hits from the olden days - Don’t Ever Think Too Much, Valerie and Remember Me. Water and Pauline, both from The Big Decider, are well received by the audience but Creeping on the Dancefloor, which has just been released, is acclaimed with the same enthusiasm as the songs from the first two albums. It’s an instant classic and it’s easy to understand why with his groovy rhythm section and powerful vocals. The set ends with You Will You Won’t and an instrumental reprise of Zuton Fever to the delight of everyone’s present. The crowd shows one more time their appreciation to the band and then, they’re gone. The lights turn on.

The Zutons

I am not the most impartial when it comes to the Zutons. I was hooked as soon as I heard the first notes of Rumblin’ Ramblin’ back in 2002 in Liverpool. I was in awe the first time I saw them play with Abi and was blown away when I heard Pressure Point live. But I leave the Waterfront on a high, feeling like I have spent the evening sharing a magic, precious moment with a long-lost friend. And judging by the reaction of the crowd, I was not the only one to feel that way.

Setlist:

1. Zuton Fever

2. Hello Conscience

3. Dirty Dancehall

4. Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?

5. Pressure Point

6. Disappear

7. Rise

8. Confusion

9. Best Of Me

10. Big Decider

11. Don't Ever Think (Too Much)

12. Valerie

13. Remember Me

14. Water

15. Pauline

16. Creeping On The Dancefloor

17. You Will You Won't

18. Zuton Fever Reprise