LIVE REVIEW
PIXIES
NEWCASTLE CITY HALL
Photos and review: Gordon Armstrong - G's Gig Shots
The iconic winged "P" is flying high on the backdrop tonight no need for the rest of the name everyone knows who they're here for and as Black Francis , Joey Santiago . David Lovering and newest member of the lineup Emma Richardson casually take the stage the sold out City Hall crowd erupts welcoming The Pixies as one of their own !
Kicking off with Oyster Beds & Ernest Evans they set the pace high and with barely time to catch their breath and change a guitar they rattle through a set of 29 songs in 90 minutes !!!
As always there's no setlist so even if you've checked online it's unlikely you're gonna get the same one tonight. In the photo pit we think we have worked out that the mic next to David's drum riser is for Black Francis to tell everyone through the monitors or in ears what's next and that begs the question just how many songs have they rehearsed for the tour when it differs nightly !
The Night The Zombies Came & Doolittle albums feature heavily in tonight's performance much to everyone's delight
with classics like Here Comes Your Man , Monkeys Gone To Heaven and the roof raising Debaser to name but three sending the crowd into a bouncing frenzy. The newer songs like Chicken & Kings of the Prairie sit brilliantly amongst old favourites which is a testament to the quality of the songwriting.
Kicking off with Oyster Beds & Ernest Evans they set the pace high and with barely time to catch their breath and change a guitar they rattle through a set of 29 songs in 90 minutes !!!
As always there's no setlist so even if you've checked online it's unlikely you're gonna get the same one tonight. In the photo pit we think we have worked out that the mic next to David's drum riser is for Black Francis to tell everyone through the monitors or in ears what's next and that begs the question just how many songs have they rehearsed for the tour when it differs nightly !
The Night The Zombies Came & Doolittle albums feature heavily in tonight's performance much to everyone's delight
with classics like Here Comes Your Man , Monkeys Gone To Heaven and the roof raising Debaser to name but three sending the crowd into a bouncing frenzy. The newer songs like Chicken & Kings of the Prairie sit brilliantly amongst old favourites which is a testament to the quality of the songwriting.
Joey Santiago is one of the coolest guitarists ever making it look like he's barely doing anything but at the same time creating some of the wildest sounds out there. Emma has taken on the bass and vocal duties marvellously and fills those previously filled shoes quite easily too.
Every song is played to within an inch of its life none the four are giving anything less than 110% which is reciprocated by the 2500 sweaty Geordies bouncing clapping singing every word back notably during a fantastic Nimrods Son and providing the high notes for Where Is My Mind.
Our evening ends with all the house lights up and a glorious Into The White ringing in our ears and as has been the norm all night a swift "thank you goodnight Newcastle " and a bow and we are done !
To be still as relevant and popular almost 40 years after forming and still attracting newer and younger fans rather than just the regular been there all along ones out for the nostalgia speaks volumes on the quality of the material as there was not one moment tonight where I thought "meh , not this one "
Wonder what they'll pull out of the bag for that 40th birthday next year !
Every song is played to within an inch of its life none the four are giving anything less than 110% which is reciprocated by the 2500 sweaty Geordies bouncing clapping singing every word back notably during a fantastic Nimrods Son and providing the high notes for Where Is My Mind.
Our evening ends with all the house lights up and a glorious Into The White ringing in our ears and as has been the norm all night a swift "thank you goodnight Newcastle " and a bow and we are done !
To be still as relevant and popular almost 40 years after forming and still attracting newer and younger fans rather than just the regular been there all along ones out for the nostalgia speaks volumes on the quality of the material as there was not one moment tonight where I thought "meh , not this one "
Wonder what they'll pull out of the bag for that 40th birthday next year !
