Words and Photos by Dave Martin/Favershamphotography
On a dark and dank day in Margate Marisa and the Moths took to the stage to brighten the days of the crowd in the ballroom as part of their tour supporting Chris Jericho’s Fozzy.
The band entered the stage to loud applause and Marisa took no time addressing the audience “How are we feeling Margate?” which was met with equally loud cheers. The band were animated from the off with bassist Liam Barnes jumping and spinning on his side of the stage before Marisa vocals started on opening track “Get it Off My Chest”. Guitarist Alez D’Elia took to the front of the stage to interact with those positioned at the barrier before Liam straddled the space between the barrier and the stage giving the crowd an up-close demonstration of his talent. The energy from the band and in the room in general was palpable in a way that is not often apparent with an opening act.
Second song “Wither Away” is an anxiety fuelled anthem that was the first of the evening to demonstrate Marisa’s ability to move from melody to screaming vocals demonstrating her singing versatility. During the song Liam climbed upon the speakers delivering his bass rhythms from up high. Marisa started clapping and those gathered joined in, in what was simply the start of the band crowd interactions during the evening.
After handing off her guitar Marisa announced new single “Nothing’s Getting Better” that is due to be released in the coming weeks. Drummer Alex Ribchesterdelivered a pounding intro, and Marisa started to sway her arm only for the crowd to join her. Marisa again highlighted her audible changeability with contrasting vocal stylings within the track.
As Alez started the intro riff, Marisa requested the audience to get their torch lights out for the first verse, and many can be seen swaying their lights above their heads adding atmosphere to the emotional song. Marisa moved to Alez’s side for the solo before returning to her mic for the chorus and thanking the crowd as the song came to an end.
The next track up was “Skin”, taken from the band’s self-titled album release in 2019. Alez again took to the front of the stage as those assembled in Margate started to clap along. Liam continued to be animated on Marisa’s flank. Marisa’s vocalisations continued to entertain and the applause at the end of the song showed continued enjoyment for the band’s performance.
Marisa starts penultimate song “Choke” by teaching the audience lines so they could join in. The band commenced with a call and response practice before starting the track proper. Joining in with arms swaying the people present also join in with the choruses. Marisa praised them for their participation and then came to the barrier briefly before returning to the stage. The instruments cut briefly as Marisa sang solo before the instruments returned and the crowd took over vocal duties.
For final song “Needy” Marisa started chugging on her guitar before adding the lyrics. Marisa, Alez and Liam all gravitated to each other playing side by side before parting and Liam again stood atop the speakers. The band finished to rapturous applause bringing to a close as good an opening set as I have seen for a while.
Very rarely does an opening act illicit such energy and crowd interaction but Marisa and the Moths did exactly that and set up an electric evening in the ballroom at Dreamland.
Setlist: 1. Get it Off My Chest, 2. Wither Away, 3. Nothing’s Getting Better, 4. Borderline, 5. Skin, 6. Choke, 7. Needy
Second to the stage were Tailgunner. As the band entered the stage I was transported back 40 years to when I used to watch music videos on TV. The bands aesthetic is akin to early Iron Maiden even down to the haircuts. From their appearance and energy as they took the stage, I knew that this was going to be a fun set.
Kicking off their set with “Midnight Blitz” Craig Cairns ran on to stage to take control of his green glowing mic stand. The high tempo track, a blend of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, had guitarists Zach Salvini and Rhea Thompson and bassist Tom Hewson making the most of the stage space afforded to them. The song came to an end to rapturous applause.
The group then progressed to 2023 release “White Death”. Drummer Eddie Mariotti pounding rhythms drove the high-octane tempo before being joined by the twin guitars of Salvini and Thompson. Singer Cairns holds aloft his mic stand to reveal the base is the Tailgunner logo and shows to the audience. This track was slower tempoed “Shadows of War” another ode to Maiden. The harmonised guitars cut through, and the animations of the band members continued to be electric. As the track ends, Cairns addressed the crowd “We are Tailgunner and we’ve come here to play heavy metal for you” before explaining that they released their second album “Midlight Blitz” the day before to coincide with the start of the tour.
“Tears in Rain” was next and the crowd clapped along and or the solo both guitarists took to the front of the stage to play side by side. As “Barren lands & Seas of Red starts, Hewson starts clapping those gathered join Hewson in setting the cadence for the song. Mariotti supplies the driving drums before Cairns throws his mic in the air catches it immediately launches into his blistering vocal barrage. As the track ends the band exited the stage leaving Mariotti behind standing on his drum stool clapping to the audience. The band rejoins for “Eulogy” and during the song Hewson, Salvini and Thompson stand side by side and performed choreographed movements with their instruments. Cairns called “Let’s see your hands in the air” and the crowd pumped their fists and cheered. In another staged part of their performance Cairns poured beer into Hewson’s and Thompson’s mouths before announcing “this is our last song, Guns of Fire”.
The theatrics did not subside for the last track with synchronised movements, a call and response and ending with Hewson playing his bass behind his head.
The band were so vibrant and will definitely be added to my playlist and I am delighted that I will get to see the band several more times this year. Their enthusiasm and stage performance left the crowd wanting more and Fozzy couldn’t have asked for better warm up acts.
Setlist: 1. Midlight Blitz, 2. White Death, 3. Shadows of War, 4. Tears in Rain, 5. Barren lands & Seas of Red, 6. Eulogy, 7. Guns for Hire
As the unmistakable opening bars of Smokie’s Living Next Door to Alice drew a loud, comical crowd response of “who the fuck is Alice”. This was followed by The Rolling Stone “Paint it Black”. Moments later the lights went out as chants of Y2K rippled through the room, and Fozzy exploded onto the stage with opener “Fall In Line.” From the first raised fists at the end of the track, it was clear the crowd was definitely in a participatory mood. Frontman Chris Jericho immediately had the room in the palm of his hand clapping rhythms that the crowd mirrored, while smoke jets ejected from the drum riser. Jericho dressed in a red jacket (the first of many) could see a lively crowd from his vantage point as he stood atop a riser of his own. By “Lights Go Out” and “Painless,” the back screens were alive with video visuals and drummer Grant Brooks was already on his feet, swizzling sticks in the air as more smoke blasted around him. The man behind the kit showing his theatrics for the whole crowd to see.
Jericho left the stage briefly after “Spotlight,” returning in a sparkly animal-print jacket to huge cheers, while guitarists Rich Ward and Billy Gray joked and traded places across the stage. A quick crowd check, “Is everyone having a good time tonight? If you know this one, sing along with us!” led straight into sixth track “SOS.” Those gathered swayed their arms in unison with the band, then the entire room bounced for “Burn Me Out,” ending in massive applause and chants of Fozzy!
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Margate,” Jericho laughed, recounting previously waking up on his bus to see a ferris wheel, a demon clown and a sun god, “I thought I was on acid.” Chants of Fozzy and Y2J recommenced before “I Still Burn” kept the energy rolling.
Another wardrobe change, this time a spiked jacket, signalled “Nowhere to Run.” Jericho called for hands in the air, clapping along with the crowd before “Army of One,” where he paused to pose for fans filming at the barrier. The crowd pulled out their phone lights and they could be seen as arms swayed, then yet another jacket swap (purple) ushered in “Sane,” complete with more smoke jets and Ward and Gray again swapping sides mid-song.
There were chants of hey! as the group started to play “Drinking With Jesus,” and then during “War,” Jericho brought out a smoke gun, firing bursts into the front rows. A heartfelt “Thank you, Margate!” followed which quickly transformed into a crowd-wide Mar-Great! Chant before “Enemy” delivered one of the night’s standout moments: an unbelievable guitar solo with both players back-to-back at the lip of the stage, leaning into each other as they squatted low, then rising together. Jericho spun his arm to cue the crowd claps before a perfectly timed jump to finish.
After a brief blackout, Jericho returned in a gold jacket for “Judas,” and the room absolutely erupted. The crowd were enthralled by this point, and every word was sung back at Jericho with gusto. He broke into a grin, holding the mic stand out over the audience as they carried the vocals for almost the entire track. Smoke jets hit, the crowd screamed, then immediately went back to singing. Genuinely one of the loudest audience moments I’ve ever experienced at a gig.
A quick “Are you having a good time tonight?” led into call-and-response chants of Ozzy! Ozzy! Fozzy! before launching into “Crazy Train,” the classic by Ozzy Osbourne. Jericho ditched his top, the crowd again roared the chorus, and vintage Ozzy footage rolled on the screens. Smoke machines kicked in at the start of the solo, Jericho mock-strummed, and one final collective jump brought the night to a thunderous close.
Throughout the set drummer Brooks endless stick tricks and animated expressions, guitarist Rich Ward spun and leapt across every inch of stage, while Billy Grey matched him beat for beat with equally infectious energy. Each song had its own tailored visuals on the rear screens, adding to a full-scale production that never let up.
Fozzy didn’t just play Margate—they turned it into a roaring choir.
I can honestly say that the energy and participation from the crowd was of the highest quality and it made the evening electric. I can’t wait to catch the final gig of the tour on 21 February at KK Steel Mill. If you haven’t seen the tour, I would recommend you get tickets before it ends
This was a masterclass in crowd connection, theatrics, and high-octane modern metal—Margate won’t forget this one anytime soon.
Setlist:
1. Fall in Line, 2. Once Crazed Anarchist, 3. Lights Go Out, 4. Painless, 5. Spotlight, 6. SOS, 7. Burn Me Out, 8. I Still Burn, 9. Nowhere to Run, 10. Army of One, 11. Sane, 12. Drinking With Jesus, 13. War, 14. Purifier, 15. Enemy, 16. Judas, 17. Crazy Train (Ozzy Cover)
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