A satisfying blend has been achieved by Pixies in recent years. Their stage work is a continuation of their alternative rock influence, mightier in the 1990s than it is today, but still beating with an honest heart. The Night the Zombies Came is the first sign of life for the band in years. Ironic, given the undead at the heart of the 2023 release, but wonderful, too, as it gives a new generation fresh songs to latch onto. This is not just a “play the hits and bow” type of set. There are plenty of songs from the criminally overlooked Trompe le Monde and an encouraging reliance on contemporary materials from their most recent album at play here. The O2 Academy is a solid venue of choice for Pixies, a band whose name has the power to pull Primavera into place, but works better when confined to Leeds-based, Telefonica-owned chain venues.
Not a word from Black Francis or the band to the crowd, and that is the way gig-going should be. Interact with the music, not the vacant ask of how your evening is going. Punchy songs, punch-ups at the bar behind the balcony, and Pixies’ stage presence is that of a well-oiled machine. They rumble through a well-balanced set of crowd-pleasing hits and deeper cuts reformed on stage to serve this new live line-up. From a cushioned, reserved seat we sat like Commodus, with a Narcissus-like, goateed cretin causing trouble a few rows behind. Pixies is not a chilled-out show, and nor should it be. The band remains an electrifying, alternate presence on stage, and it is a monumental overhaul of their studio work. It reforms those moments which felt stifled or gasping for air on the reunion songs. Here, they thrive, mixed in between Bossanova and Doolittle hits, both classic albums given a fair share of stage time. Pixies use the short length of their catalogue to form what becomes a very slick, cool showcase.
Guitar switches and preparation for the song to follow take mere seconds, and that time is not filled by idle chat. Pixies have a presence on stage, well attended to for closer Into the White as fog fills the stage. It is not arrogance, which means they do not interact with the audience, but a professionalism which lifts every song to that expected, high level. Joey Santiago is outstanding, playing a mean solo with both his hat and the amp lead. Alexis Taylor did something similar when opening for Jarv Is… at the Boiler Shop, playing his guitar with a bottle. But he had keyboard tech troubles a song later and pulled the sort of expression a man caught feasting on tiramisu, shirtless, in the middle of the night would, ergo it is not as cool. Santiago is one of the more understated, outstanding guitarists around, as is Black Francis, keeping the show together on acoustic for most of the show.
Rhythm sections prevail too, with exceptionally passionate work from David Lovering and outstanding vocal and bass duties from newcomer Emma Richardson, who has slotted into place as naturally as one could hope. All in, the Pixies quartet is as essential on stage as they were in the studio all those years ago. Songs like Chicken, Debaser, and The Night the Zombies Came have a whole new life to them when performed at the O2 Academy, not because of the historic venue, but because the band feels comfortable there, on stage. There is an impressively slick showcase Pixies has to offer here, and changing the bulk of the setlist from night to night is beyond impressive.
So too were Big Special, the opening act, who sounded phenomenal. Whether they looked great is up to those at the front, not those who were buying Pixies-themed playing cards from the merch stand. Big Special is an outstanding outfit; their debut album, Postindustrial Hometown Blues, and their collaboration with John Grant are both remarkable. They are a nice fit for Pixies, too. Both groups display that urgency, the manic nature of adrenaline-shot performance. Those who may find themselves on the fence about contemporary music from Pixies will no doubt be won over by hearing it performed live. Either that, or they will be shoved over the balcony to join the riotously fun-looking mosh below.
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