The air was thick with anticipation, and literally thick with fog from the fog machine, as James Marriott took to the stage at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield on Thursday. After a slightly off-key but no less endearing crowd singalong of ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked, Marriott appeared in a theatrical cloud of smoke and launched into a set that truly defied expectations.
The Youtuber-turned-rockstar started strong, performing a string of hits from his latest album Don’t Tell the Dog. Marriott demanded attention with his strong vocals and interpretive dance moves, that instantly reminded me of Sheffield’s own Jarvis Cocker – both singers embracing being eccentric and unapologetically weird. The crowd matched his whimsy by attending the gig dressed in cowboy hats
and sparkles, bringing alien toys with Marriott’s face on, and there was even a guest appearance from Kermit the Frog.
and sparkles, bringing alien toys with Marriott’s face on, and there was even a guest appearance from Kermit the Frog.
The entire show could be singularly defined by the intense and boundless energy from the crowd. They didn’t just sing along, they screamed (and I mean screamed) along. Marriott commanded the crowd, constantly demanding their participation in singing the next line of a song, or clapping and dancing along. He challenged the crowd as he roared – “Did you come here to jump with me Sheffield?” Resulting in the crowd collectively dropping low to the floor before jumping back up in
time to the beat. Marriott also got the crowd to dictate the setlist as he judged the volume of the cheers to choose the next song. While Going Postal at the Party won the cheer vote, that didn’t stop the crowd loudly demanding that Marriott also play the other song choice – ‘So Long’. Instead, Marriott played California Rain, an unreleased track, and this seemed to more than placate the
crowd.
time to the beat. Marriott also got the crowd to dictate the setlist as he judged the volume of the cheers to choose the next song. While Going Postal at the Party won the cheer vote, that didn’t stop the crowd loudly demanding that Marriott also play the other song choice – ‘So Long’. Instead, Marriott played California Rain, an unreleased track, and this seemed to more than placate the
crowd.
While the setlist included a great selection from his releases, the crowd erupted when Grapes started to play. Much to Marriott’s delight, mosh pits broke out during the performance. This was something he’d mentioned earlier as a new phenomenon, and the Sheffield crowd obviously continued the trend.
Bringing this night to an end, Marriott bid the crowd farewell with a cryptic “Meet me at the doors.” Sure enough, he appeared outside the venue a little later on to play an acoustic version of California Rain. Although it was cold, at least it wasn’t raining here. This intimate finale was a great contrast to the spectacle of the main show, allowing for fans to see a raw, but no less wonderfully weird, version of James Marriott.
