LIVE REVIEW: Pivots Bring Immersive VR Experience to Newcastle's Beyond Vinyl
Part VR trip, part atmospheric live set: inside Anglo-French duo Pivots’ mind-bending show at Beyond Vinyl.
Band: Pivots
Venue: Beyond Vinyl
Date: 21st of September 2026
Review: David Weddle
Venue: Beyond Vinyl
Date: 21st of September 2026
Review: David Weddle
I first heard of indie duo Pivots a few months ago, and I was not just impressed by their music, I was intrigued by the band's unique, immersive show. They use VR headsets to fully immerse the audience in an experience like no other. So I was very excited to get the chance to experience Pivots' show first hand.
The duo stopped off at Beyond Vinyl in Newcastle, an independent record store set inside the historic John Marley Centre. The venue is pretty special with its art deco design and parquet flooring, it is more than just another record store, it is a cultural hub that is full of ambition and of course great music.
Just before the show, the audience were briefed on what was about to happen before we took our seats and donned our VR headsets. After a few seconds of looking around to configure the headsets, we were off, flying through a virtual world, navigating simply by moving our heads. Having never used a VR headset before, it was a little unnerving at first as my brain tried to make sense of what I was seeing. I really felt like I was flying through the air and thanks to a few additional atmospheric changes, including a rather large fan, the whole experience felt very real.
Roman was able to manipulate the visuals and every so often we were transported back into the room where we could briefly see the band playing in front of us, before being transported back to the virtual world as Roman and Pol continued to play. It was quite surreal knowing that everyone in the room was experiencing the same thing in entirely different ways. I flew off to investigate flying cars that were soaring above my head in a virtual cityscape, while I could see that others in the audience were looking at and experiencing a completely different part of the virtual world. It is a unique way of making the live experience something more than just the music.
The duo stopped off at Beyond Vinyl in Newcastle, an independent record store set inside the historic John Marley Centre. The venue is pretty special with its art deco design and parquet flooring, it is more than just another record store, it is a cultural hub that is full of ambition and of course great music.
Just before the show, the audience were briefed on what was about to happen before we took our seats and donned our VR headsets. After a few seconds of looking around to configure the headsets, we were off, flying through a virtual world, navigating simply by moving our heads. Having never used a VR headset before, it was a little unnerving at first as my brain tried to make sense of what I was seeing. I really felt like I was flying through the air and thanks to a few additional atmospheric changes, including a rather large fan, the whole experience felt very real.
Roman was able to manipulate the visuals and every so often we were transported back into the room where we could briefly see the band playing in front of us, before being transported back to the virtual world as Roman and Pol continued to play. It was quite surreal knowing that everyone in the room was experiencing the same thing in entirely different ways. I flew off to investigate flying cars that were soaring above my head in a virtual cityscape, while I could see that others in the audience were looking at and experiencing a completely different part of the virtual world. It is a unique way of making the live experience something more than just the music.
This was a show of two halves; the VR experience was followed by a more traditional show. The stage was dark and moody, with the only light coming from the stunning visuals projected onto the stage. The atmosphere created by Roman and Pol made it so easy to get lost in the music.
Having only read about the format beforehand, actually experiencing it left me more impressed now than any write-up had prepared me for. It is definitely a show that you need to see for yourself. Despite the heavy use of technology, the show is at its core a human experience and connects in a very personal way that I have yet to find elsewhere.
I was lucky enough to meet the band before the show and they are a great bunch, friendly, grounded, and genuinely passionate about what they do. The tour continues with the final UK shows at THIRTEEN in Kendal on the 24th and Barrow Underground Music Society in Barrow-in-Furness on the 25th. You can find out more about Pivots at pivotsband.com
Having only read about the format beforehand, actually experiencing it left me more impressed now than any write-up had prepared me for. It is definitely a show that you need to see for yourself. Despite the heavy use of technology, the show is at its core a human experience and connects in a very personal way that I have yet to find elsewhere.
I was lucky enough to meet the band before the show and they are a great bunch, friendly, grounded, and genuinely passionate about what they do. The tour continues with the final UK shows at THIRTEEN in Kendal on the 24th and Barrow Underground Music Society in Barrow-in-Furness on the 25th. You can find out more about Pivots at pivotsband.com
