There are certain things guaranteed when you see an iconic post-punk band. Noise. Sweat. Shouting. Swaying. Moshing.
What you might not expect is a sense of effortless craft and sonic beauty — but that’s exactly what Pixies gave to Band On The Wall on Tuesday night (July 19). To make it even more impressive, it came 34-years-and-three-months on from their inaugural album.
The surprise show — announced a little over 36 hours before the four-piece took to the stage at 8pm — was intimate, too. Band On The Wall’s 500 capacity was sold out, with some thinking the smaller venue would lend itself to an entirely acoustic set.
How wrong they were. After starting slowly, and deliberately, Black Francis unleashed ‘Here Comes Your Man’ on the small crowd of ‘OAPs and socialites’, as one man described it. And after this point, everything started to make sense with this performance.
The sprawling two-hour set featured no talking — just number after number after number, played masterfully. There were firm cheers and shrieks of ‘oh my god’ for ‘Nimrod’s Son’, ‘Gigantic’, and ‘Wave of Mutilation’.
The first break in the performance came 27 minutes in — and that was so Black could swap his acoustic guitar for an electric monster. Special mention should also be given to Joey Santiago’s control on lead guitar, and David Lovering’s tempo on drums — you could easily set your watch to both men.
And it’s this deliberateness which characterises this Pixies show. Everything was done methodically, and was driven in a way where A leads to B which leads to C. It might not sound exhilarating, but it’s impressive all the same. Paz Lenchantin's bass playing and backing vocals were akin to watching a chess grandmaster calculating their next move.
Everything just worked — and when your back catalogue includes hits like ‘Debaser’, ‘Gouge Away’, and ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ — you’re going to get a reaction. Those hits, written in Massachusetts in the mid-to-late-1980s, had their airing in Manchester on the UK’s hottest ever day in 2022. They got what they deserved.
Decades on, there is evidently still a lot of love for Pixies. They have a new album — Doggerel — coming out in September. But they also have a rich history which they respect, and understand.
They know fans are there, in the main, for the first two albums. But that’s okay when you provide each song with the right amount of dedication, drive, and determination needed to craft it as if it was newly released.
Finishing at 10pm, they took a bow. Then they took a second, and a third. The musicianship, love, and dexterity that they demonstrated to the 500 lucky souls in Band On The Wall means they earned every single round of applause given.
READ NEXT:
- Greater Manchester smashes heat record for second day in row
- Yes, it's been dangerously hot - but this week doesn't compare to the summer of 1976
- Greater Manchester temperatures set to almost HALVE after another record-breaking day
- 'Wonderful' mum dies in freak accident celebrating son's 21st birthday
- People having a BBQ caused a huge moorland fire last night as bosses slam 'thoughtless' act
