With Paddy’s Day still ringing in our ears, you’d have been forgiven for wanting a quiet one. But, at The Octagon on Thursday 20 March, The Mary Wallopers clearly missed that memo. From the moment they stepped on stage, it was all systems go. Frontman Charles didn’t waste a second before declaring his love for Sheffield – and his wild nights in The Grapes (relatable) before launching headfirst into the set.
The Octagon was bouncing from the off, the kind of atmosphere where everyone’s here for a laugh, a singalong, and a proper good craic. Early on, the Hendy brothers gave us their unfiltered thoughts on Conor McGregor (“fuck Conor McGregor”) and his political mates (“fuck Donald Trump”), to cheers all round.
The band’s gift for banter made it feel half gig, half stand-up, especially when they dedicated a track to “all the rich people going through a hard time” and Brian Thompson, the infamous CEO of an American health insurance company. Before the laughter even settled, they were back into another tune and the crowd was right there with them.
They rolled out all the big ones; The Blarney Stone, Rich Man and the Poor Man, and a riotous version of Cod Liver Oil & the Orange Juice. When a chant of “Yorkshire” broke out, they were all for it “aye, I can get on board with that” before kicking into Building Up and Tearing England Down, a near-perfect closer.
As the lights came up, nobody moved. Instead, the audience broke into a makeshift ceilidh, linking arms and dancing until staff began herding us towards the doors.
If you’ve not seen The Mary Wallopers live, be it at a festival or on tour, make it a priority. It’s an evening of dancing, belly laughs, and probably too much Guinness. And remember: fuck Conor McGregor.
