Reinvigorated Pixies smash through the classics, drenching youthful fans in a sludge of new memories.
SLOW READERS CLUB
Manchester’s Slow Readers Club are first up tonight, their dark wave of synth-pop doused in ‘80s nostalgia and going down well with the older Pixies fans in the crowd. Opening with the moody, driving bass of The Wait from the 2020 EP of the same name, the sound is an entrancing new take on the familiar. Plant the Seed’s grinding groove follows, showcasing frontman Aaron Starkie’s vast vocal range and despite fan favourite I Saw A Ghost seeing him forget his words, he nails it second time round, making him even more endearing as a result! They continue to lure in the crowd with the addictive riff of On The TV and close with 2018’s hypnotic and melodic Lunatic, the perfect lead-in to tonight’s main act.
PIXIES
Pixies give a quick wave as they wander onto the stage of the O2 Academy, Black Francis catching a glimpse of the eager crowd before removing his specs and losing himself to a frenzied onslaught of almost 40 songs, lifting off with Levitate Me which inspired the title of first EP, Come On Pilgrim. Surfer Rosa’s mesmeric River Euphrates follows as they continue to whip through songs at breakneck speed, leading with one from each consecutive album, only Indie Cindy missing the cut.
As a well-seasoned Pixies gig-goer, the band seem reinvigorated on this tour, with a bit of a spark in their eyes. There’s also a shift in the audience demographic, with an encouraging number of younger fans filling the mosh zone and a fair few kids tagging along with their parents who must be well aware it’s not all boxcars and monkeys, leading us nicely to Nimrod’s Son. Tonight this comes in two halves, sandwiched between it The Holiday Song, both numbers laced with incestuous unions and the second slice of Nimrod’s Son that sleazy, slowed down version where Black Francis spits out every despicable word. Lush!
With classic smashing into classic, Black Francis’ evil cackle opens the delicious despair of Mr Grieves which races towards its creeping crescendo while unhinged epic Vamos drips with distortion, Joey Santiago’s antics on this number a regular on the live show circuit. A vision in white, he indulges in some flatcap guitar trickery before moving on to a touch of cable manipulation, producing a whack of ear-splitting feedback as his pained facial expressions mock the cliched guitar-solo exquisitely. Looking on, Black Francis, Dave Lovering and Paz Lenchantin humour him and his wee party-piece as the unwavering drums and bass roll on, the heartbeat of this Hispanic melodrama.
But there’re some new numbers in tonight’s mix too, dipping into upcoming album Doggerel, with Paz shining on Vault Of Heaven. Actually scratch that, Paz shines through the whole set, her big, big smile stretching into the eves.
As the old favourites spin on, the brooding brilliance of Gouge Away delights the crowd, driven by Paz’s bruising bass as Black Francis’ vocals flip from gasp to growl and Joey’s gnarling reverb falls into eerie space. Dead’s deranged chord progressions elevate the sense of unease as demonic wails of “dead” pervade every nook of the O2 Academy before Cactus sends a triumphant chill through the crowd. The gloriously grim No.13 Baby finally gets ticked off my wish-list for the evening, the song which cemented my 33 year love affair with Pixies. But without the sinister opening strum which spawns so much atmosphere, it’s Dave’s drumming perfection and the most sublime of outros that save the day. Hey sees the crowd like a choir as its ethereal energy sends arms and neck hairs soaring while Gigantic is simply massive. Black Francis is relentless on I’ve Been Tired while his demented cries on the short but never sweet Something Against You fires the mosh pit into meltdown. Their explosive take on The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Head On smashes it and Isla De Encanta propels us into a minute and a half of punk-paced paradise.
As younger members of the audience create new memories, the oldies are reliving their past, Debaser beaming me back to Sunday night indie discos where we’d sway our low slung heads and shuffle self-consciously in our Doc Marten boots thankfully without the fear of appearing on some bloody tiktok video. By this point the O2 Academy is a sweltering black hole with spirits so high that when Where Is My Mind finally makes an appearance, the crowd collapse into a delirious singalong, and for a few moments one woman on the balcony looks like she might combust. But for me Neil Young’s Winterlong tops that nicely, closing the show beautifully with its divine harmonies.
There’s no encore and none required as the four take centre-stage for a wave and hand-linked bow, their faces speaking a thousand words of gratitude to the jubilant audience.
As a new intake of Pixies fans leave the building, their heads a sludge of bleeding bodies, fiery loins, celestial primates, filthy frocks, well-hung boys, tattooed tits and insinuations that their mother’s brother’s wife’s auntie is their father’s sister’s lover’s brother’s mother’s uncle’s donkey….or something like that, we can all sleep easy in the knowledge that the legend that is Pixies will continue to thrive for many years to come.
New album Doggerel is out in September and Pixies have a couple more dates in the UK before heading to Europe, no doubt playing the other numbers never ticked off tonight’s wish-list. So enjoy Bone Machine and Caribou if you can!
Words: Shirley Mack @musingsbymarie
Pictures: Calum Mackintosh @ayecandyphotography