Returning to Manchester for a second night in a row, cult indie and alternative rock legends Pixies brang a massive set that defies time, stuffing as many songs as humanly possible into an hour and a half. GANS join them in support.
GANS are first, and with no expectations going in, we walk out with a new favourite band. GANS are typically an experimental band who use electronic elements alongside instruments like saxophones and flutes on top of drums and bass. It might sound like a fairly standard arrangement, but the manic energy on stage is electric and delivers a much-needed kick in the teeth to start the night.
It’s hard to tell what’s improvised and where the songs start and end thanks to their almost shoegaze vibes, but the energy they put in gives it a pulse. Drummer Euan Woodman spends plenty of time moving about the stage when he isn’t drumming, and we even get to see him do the worm, usually the bassist’s duty, but everyone likes a change from time to time. Bassist Tom Rhodes makes up the other half of the duo, fleshing out their chaotic sound with distorted basslines and twiddling bits of synth that we’re just not smart enough to understand but absolutely love. If you’re after something chaotic you can dance to, go look up their album, Good for the Soul.
After a short break, Pixies finally make their way to the stage and begin their self-imposed challenge of playing as many songs as possible with as few repeats from the previous night as they can. Black Francis might not be the chattiest of frontmen, which makes the show feel like a bit of a jukebox set, though that is likely preferable if you’re a Pixies fan.
Pixies are a band that rewards die-hard fans and punishes casuals, their set full of deep cuts and weirdo B-sides that someone walking in with limited knowledge wouldn’t know. Sure, you still get to hear classics like ‘Here Comes Your Man‘, ‘Debaser‘ and ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven‘, plus a particularly laid-back version of ‘Wave of Mutilation‘, but the lack of a proper personal connection between the audience and the band may feel a little alienating if you don’t live and breathe their music. If you’re just here for ‘Where Is My Mind?‘ then you might have a rough time.
The entire band stays stationary throughout, and the rare moments where Black Francis speaks are soft and reserved, which leads to a relaxed, calm atmosphere. There isn’t a great deal of movement from the crowd either, though some animation is sparked by tracks like ‘Crackity Jones‘ and ‘Bone Machine‘. This is very much a set where one person’s biggest criticism could be another’s favourite part of the show, which makes it hard to write about.
There’s a good balance of classic material from Doolittle and Surfer Rosa and brand new cuts from more recent albums like The Night the Zombies Came, so there’s plenty for the oldheads and newcomers alike without feeling alienating on that front. It does, however, make it hard to do your homework on the setlist, so your best bet is to listen to as much as you can beforehand and hope your favourites show up, because the setlist changes nightly.
As the band end their set with ‘White‘ and vanish into a sea of white fog, a mostly happy crowd files out with a sense of satisfaction at seeing a legendary indie act. Even if it is a one-and-done for some, there’s still a bit of social prestige in having heard ‘Where Is My Mind?‘ live and experiencing something most people struggle to get tickets for in such an intimate space.
