Live review: Pixies, Hammersmith Apollo
Published on November 26th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams
How’s that for a crummy photo? Look, we didn’t have a photographer with us for last night’s Pixies gig at Hammersmith Apollo, so yours truly had to snap this hastily from the outskirts of a reassuringly fervent mosh pit.
We may not have had a photographer, but then Pixies didn’t have Kim Deal so we’re square. Her replacement Kim Shattuck may not be the real Deal – arf – but she’s fit for purpose and that’s good enough for us.
It may strike as churlish to view Pixies as some sort of nostalgia act, especially when they kick off the night with new song “Andro Queen”, and it’s conceivable that Black Francis and co mightn’t take too kindly to such suggestions.
However, we mean it in an entirely positive way; that is to say, they rolled out cast iron classic after cast iron classic to the point that we really rather misplaced our excrement.
This writer is approaching the age whereupon the acceptable and dignified thing to do is to stand towards the back nodding appreciatively and/or rhythmically, so it’s testament to the undiminished enthusiasm of Pixies’ live performance that the urge to surge forward and participate in the mayhem proved irresistible.
Quite how Francis has retained his Earth-shattering scream throughout the years is a cause of wonderment, and it poses a problem for the devout Pixies enthusiast.
Joyous is the set where you feel compelled to sing along with every song, but when that set includes “Debaser”, “Tame”, “Crackity Jones”, “Something Against You”, “River Euphrates”, “Planet of Sound” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven”, you’ll do well to emerge the other side with your vocal cords unshredded.
And, when you’ve a partiality for boisterous early numbers like “Ed is Dead” and “I’ve Been Tired”, you ought to be careful not to pogo your kneecaps into oblivion.
Joey Santiago remains planet Earth’s coolest chap, appearing to ‘knight’ the crowd with his guitar during the course of the imperious “Vamos”, while drummer David Lovering chipped in with his delicious croon on “No. 13 Baby”.
Gripes? The sound was muddy, and there was no “Velouria” or “Allison”, but then we got our Bossanova fix from “Ana”, “Cecilia Ann”, “Rock Music” and “Blown Away”.
In conclusion, thank you Pixies for another bang-up evening’s entertainment, if not for the shredded vocal cords and pulverised kneecaps.
Rocksucker says: Four and a Half Quails out of Five!
Pingback: Rocksucker: Live review: Pixies, Hammersmith Apollo | moonblogsfromsyb