Gig review: Pixies at York Barbican

By Grace Sherwin

The night began, as the best do, at the closest Wetherspoons –  specifically the Postern Gate in York – as an inevitable stop for many concert attendees, only a mere five-minute walk from the venue. After a hearty meal, and a game of spot the fellow Pixies fan, the short pilgrimage to the Barbican commenced. Primarily used as a theatre, the seats usually located in the stalls of the theatre had fortunately been removed, leaving a capacious standing area allowing a total capacity of around 1,900 people, through which we weaved our way to a perfect spot in the third row. As someone used to the smaller and more chaotic Nottingham venue Rock City, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to breathe comfortably – where I am used to being suffocated and shoved by sweaty teenagers three times my height. Here, however, I was surrounded by a sea of middle-aged dads (my own included), there to reminisce and enjoy quality live music, as opposed to rowdy teenagers who merely wish to squash one another. I did notice a scattering of young alternative people among the older couples and lone blokes enjoying a lager, speaking to the truly universal appeal of the band. The eclectic crowd was a welcome change, though there was a lack of youthful enthusiasm, made particularly apparent and palpably felt within the set of the support act GANS.

One of the most energetic and unique support acts I have ever seen, kicking the night off in a dynamic and exhilarating fashion

Support acts are of course faced with significantly less presence and excitement than the headliner, and though the music of the three-piece was seemingly very well-received, their frequent appeals for the crowd to jump and cheer were almost entirely ignored. The emerging post-punk Black Country group were however met with waves of applause and compliments between songs, catchy and gritty bangers such as ‘Dirty Cowboy’ creating a harmonious racket one could not resist moving to. Usually creating music as a duo, childhood friends Euan Woodman and Thomas Rhodes have adopted a third member for this tour, acting as a virtuoso DJ, saxophonist, and flautist, bringing a surreal flair to the heavy rock that really sold the group to me. The set reached a glorious if shocking crescendo when the band’s drummer and vocalist Woodman ventured into the crowd half-naked, rolling around on the sticky floor to a steady pounding beat, thrilling and terrifying the young and old(er) of the crowd alike. It was one of the most energetic and unique support acts I have ever seen, kicking the night off in a dynamic and exhilarating fashion, and creating the perfect atmosphere for the main event.

Celebrating 40 years since the band’s conception in 1986, the performance marked the beginning of Pixies’ tour within the UK, and their first ever show in York – though the legendary frontman, Black Francis, promised a prompt return to the city. Under a striking, colour-changing sign presenting the band’s iconic winged ‘P’, Black Francis, Joey Santiago, David Lovering, and fairly recent addition Emma Richardson emerged onto the stage, being met with the screams of a crowd that recognised how phenomenal it was to see a band of this calibre in such an intimate venue. The band offered a generous hour and a half set of 28 songs, spanning much of their discography to fulfil the promise of an anniversary tour, and presenting a well-balanced mix of upbeat and mellow tracks. The show began with a slowed version of the classic ‘Wave of Mutilation’, though they returned to the song, playing the usual version later in the setlist. The majority of the set consisted of songs from the band’s second album Doolittle, however a large number of tracks were taken from their most recent offering, The Night the Zombies Came, a collection of cinematic tunes such as ‘The Vegas Suite’ and ‘Chicken’ that perfectly encapsulate the band’s surrealist appeal.

The winged ‘P’ glowed behind the group of musicians, leaving each member of the patchwork crowd embraced by an unlikely shared sense of nostalgia

A personal highlight was Santiago’s extensive and experimental guitar solo in ‘Vamos’, within which he notably played with his baseball cap and created music with the feedback of his unplugged cord. Highlighted by Francis taking a step away from the spotlight to really allow Santiago to entertain, it was evident that the guitarist was having a lot of fun, and we were all there with him. The crowd predictably went wild for the penultimate song of the set, the ubiquitously loved and heralded ‘Where Is My Mind?’, producing a haunting choir of ‘ooh-ooh’s behind Santiago’s iconic riff and Francis’ powerful vocals.

The winged ‘P’ glowed behind the group of musicians, leaving each member of the patchwork crowd embraced by an unlikely shared sense of nostalgia, and by the end left in awe of the timeless, enduring, and unifying talent of Pixies.

Images: Grace Sherwin