An open-air amphitheatre, with a beautiful blue sky, isn’t the obvious setting for a band whose catalogue includes songs about murder-suicides and biblical killings. Still, as Here Comes Your Man starts the first of many singalongs, the setting serves as a reminder that for all the focus on their lyrics and electrifying noise, they really can make an indecently good pop group.
It’s over three decades since the Boston band’s inimitable blend of surf rock, Puerto Rican vibes, hardcore punk and quiet/loud dynamics made such an influential impact. Today, the original members are now middle-aged men, but singer/guitarist Charles Thompson IV – once known as Black Francis, then Frank Black – puts his whole being into his singing. Drummer David Lovering never misses a beat and fiercely inventive guitarist Joey Santiago has become quite the showman. He removes his hat – revealing a glistening pate – and uses it to emit weird sounds from his guitar. There’s no Kim Deal, of course, but Argentinian-American Paz Lenchantin fills the bassist/occasional vocalist’s musical role with aplomb without, understandably, the co-founder’s iconic heft.
Although Pixies have made four coolly received albums since reforming in 2004, the 30-song setlist mostly hails from their 1986-93 imperial period. There are three covers and St Nazaire is a rampaging, menacing, Cramps-y highlight from 2019’s Beneath The Eyrie. Otherwise, there’s just one song from the forthcoming album, Doggerel. There’s A Moon On, a twangily tuneful werewolf-themed romp (“Don’t like to fight, don’t like to spit/I like a steak with no pepper on it”), gets a warm enough reception among the classics.
A black cloud overhead arrives, appropriately, for Gouge Away and Wave of Mutilation. Environmental anthem Monkey Gone To Heaven sounds grippingly prescient. As darkness descends, Thompson peals off his infamous scream and Gigantic, Bone Machine, Planet of Sound and Where Is My Mind are thrilling. The frontman says just one word to the audience all night – an excitably shouted “Hey!” – but somehow, it’s enough.
• Pixies play at Hyde Park, London (with Pearl Jam), on 8 July. Then tour.
