Words & photography by Rachel Bywater
As the house lights in Manchester’s O2 Apollo come up the capacity crowd begin to catch its breath.
American alternative rock band Pixies have provided a truly epic performance but they are not quite done and have one last trick up their sleeve.
In a spirit true to their unconventional nature they take to the stage one last time and crown the gig with an amp melting rendition of Planet of Sound.
It’s an appropriate finish for a band that has never adhered to the norm.
Two hours earlier as 3,500 fans streamed through the doors they knew what they were about to see was going to be good, but few could have expected just how good.
When the band walks out onto the stage the roar of the audience almost takes the roof off.
Pixies open their set with one of their trademark quite-loud tracks, In Heaven, and from there on out pump out song after song after song, with barely a pause in between.
It may not be the chattiest of performances (the only words uttered by frontman, Frank Black, between songs are a Jodie Foster-esque ‘I’m good to go’ at the start of the gig) but the fans certainly get their money’s worth: in total Pixies play an incredible 39 songs during their two hour set.
It is a polished performance. Despite the departure of revered bassist Kim Deal just four months ago, Pixies remain a well-oiled (bone) machine.
They may have been playing their influential back catalogue since reforming in 2004 but it never feels like they are going through the motions, every track is played with the same blistering zeal and screaming energy as it was the first time around.
All of the big hitters are played: Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone To Heaven, Wave of Mutilation to name but a few. Hardcore thrashes, like Vamos and Something Against You, send the mosh pit into a frenzy while the more melodic La La Love You and Caribou have the jubilant crowd singing along in unison.
For the first time in 22 years, Pixies have new tracks to play as well, following the release of a new four track EP (the imaginatively titled EP1) in September of this year. Andro Queen, What Goes Boom and Another Toe in the Ocean are all enthusiastically received but Indie Cindy, in particular, holds its own amongst the classics and feels instantly familiar.
Stand out moments include a full-speed/half-speed version of Nimrod’s Son and a howling extended solo from lead guitarist Joey Santiago, during which he plays his guitar’s pick up with his teeth.
Their encore kicks off with two covers: Big New Prinze by The Fall and Jesus and Mary Chain’s Head On, before their crumpling into the glorious cacophony that is Planet of Sound.
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