After seven years away, West Yorkshire’s powerhouse quartet Marmozets proved they haven’t lost an ounce of intensity with a ferocious sold-out return at Bristol’s Thekla.

Words & photos by James Crisp (@james_taking_pictures) | Feb 02, 2026

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A 7–8 year hiatus would typically suggest a band easing back into form, but Marmozets are anything but tentative. The West Yorkshire quartet returned with precision and intensity, showing no signs of rust. Instead, they delivered a performance that reaffirmed their reputation as one of the UK’s most formidable live acts.

Stepping onto the stage bathed in thick red light and smiles stretched ear to ear, the band wasted no time in making their presence felt. The band consists of Josh Macintyre (drums), Jack Bottomley (guitar), Sam Macintyre (bass) and, of course, the powerhouse Becca Bottomley on vocals. Marmozets tore into their set with immediate ferocity, ripping through a sold-out Thekla crowd from the opening moments.

From the first song, the band’s stage presence was more than just electric, it was seriously an electric overload. There was a real sense of joy and a “we’re back where we belong” sort of feel in the way they played. Constant movement, knowing glances, lots of dancing and a confidence that came from a band clearly thrilled to be back on stage together. Becca Bottomley was a force to be reckoned with throughout, switching effortlessly between raw intensity and complete and total crowd control, whilst Jack and Sam prowled the stage, constantly giving the crowd so much attention, all whilst playing some pretty hard-going riffs and making it look so effortless. Let’s not forget Josh on drums either, who I personally couldn’t stop watching, because, well, what an absolute machine. I don’t think I have ever seen someone hit as hard and be so precise at the same time before.

That energy spilt straight into the crowd. The sold-out Thekla audience was loud, packed in, and fully up for singing along, bouncing in unison, and feeding off every breakdown and chorus. It felt less like a comeback show and more like Marmozets had never actually been away at all.

The setlist played a big part in that feeling. Songs like Is It Horrible and Particle hit hard early on, while Running With the Sun kept the momentum soaring. Cut Back and Love You Good brought groove and grit in equal measure, and my night was certainly made when they played one of my all-time favourite songs, Captivate You. It’s also safe to say that, judging by the sheer volume of the crowd, this was not just one of my favourites but many people’s soundtrack. Each track landed with an enormous response.

The set was finished off with the massive tracks, Why do You Hate Me? and Major System Error, which brought with them slew of crowd surfers and who doesn’t love watching the faces of crowd surfers overhead when they realise the only place they can go is straight into or onto the stage.

By the end of the night, it was clear this wasn’t just a great gig, it was a reminder of exactly why Marmozets were so missed when they were gone.

Welcome back!