Ten years ago, The Half Moon, Putney saw the very first live show of a brand new band made up of some of the industry’s most experienced and talented artists, one which instantly stole the hearts of many people from the very first listen. A decade, fourteen CDs (if you count EPs, compilations and lives), many memorable live shows and adventures along the way, we are back here to celebrate all things Cats In Space.
Cats In Space – Acousti-Cats
The Half Moon, Putney – 25 April 2026
Words: Liz Medhurst
Photography: Dave Craig
This show would have been held on the exact ten-year anniversary, originally scheduled for the 6 January, however The Half Moon closed its doors in 2025 for extensive refurbishment. In this current climate, where the survival of venues is precarious, that is always a risky move, and it was hoped that this iconic venue really would return. Fortunately, it did, looking smart and sharp, so we are pretending that this is the actual date.
This celebration is a birthday party, not a memorial. Cats In Space are currently putting the finishing touches to their seventh full-length studio album, which promises to be bigger than ever and will be our first capturing on record of the new cats Chris Childs (Thunder, Tyketto) and Sam Wood (Black Star Riders, Wayward Sons).
Tonight’s show saw the core quartet of Greg Hart (beautiful acoustic guitar), Damien Edwards (wondrous vocals), Steevi Bacon (bongos and an array of percussion instruments producing a massive sound) and Andy Stewart (epic, shining keyboard skills).
The show was billed as Acousti-Cats, the last in a limited run of occasional special shows that have taken place this year, which sees the band re-imagine songs acoustically.
As a concept, this is not new. However, we have learned to expect something a little bit special from Cats In Space and boy did they deliver.
An acoustic set by most bands is a nice time spent listening to some chilled-out and stripped-back power ballads and songs that are relatively simple in construction. We did get these, and they were magnificent, but that is only the beginning of the story.
From a setlist that was more suggestion than roadmap, the quartet left-turned and gear changed through spontaneous thoughts, off-the-wall conversations, and audience requests, giving an eclectic and surprising set that defied expectations.
You could see that being able to let loose and go with the flow was a real treat after the last few tours, where production values meant that sticking to a more rigid setlist was a necessity. These tours have been incredible, too. Fortunately it is not a case of either/or, more about loving the variety.
In front of a crowd packed with old friends and collaborators and fans coming from far and wide, plus a sprinkling of newbies this show will live long in the memory. It is hard to know where to start with the highlights.
We can talk about the classics from the back catalogue, such as Scars or Mr Heartache. We can marvel that the band continue to produce show-stopping, breathtaking numbers like This Velvet Rush and A Million Miles.
How refreshing to see songs that had no business being acoustic performed brilliantly. Step forward Thunder In The Night, or Jupiter Calling, or I Fell Out Of Love With Rock ‘n’ Roll.
There were covers too, all well-chosen, with a beautiful Forever Autumn showing off Damien Edwards’s skills. Desperado was intense, and Stray Cat Strut hit the perfect tone. And it was a cover that gave us the most surreal, funny and legendary happening.
A light-hearted sing-along of We Will Rock You led to a call out for Bohemian Rhapsody, whereupon Greg joked that they would need the entire audience to help them with that, so that was not going to happen.
Never one to resist a challenge, our very own Mark Taylor started up with “Is this the real life…” Cue a performance of this most epic and outrageous of songs performed by the entire venue. And it was all of it, too.
Not the usual stopping before the choral part a la Live Aid, but the full nine yards. The whole hog. Andy Stewart’s piano was truly epic here, as was the rest of the band’s heroic challenge of attempting to keep everyone in the same key and timing. Never mind Only In Vegas – Only Cats In Space, and probably only in London.
Well over two hours and more than twenty-two songs later (we had all lost count by this stage), tonight this corner of Putney felt like a real collaboration between band and audience and true happiness and escapism from the harsh, brutal world outside.
MetalTalk are proud to have championed Cats In Space from the very beginning and are delighted that a band who burst onto the scene with so much promise continues to surprise and delight.
Now, if only the rest of the world would catch up.
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