The Pixies @ The Brixton Academy
By: Gareth Meade
Posted: Oct. 15, 2009
The day tickets went on sale for the Pixies four-night run at London's Brixton Academy, events quickly transpired against me. While this was mostly my own fault (not setting my alarm and not wanting to pay the exorbitant asking prices on eBay after the shows sold out), things were looking dire, and understandably I was upset.
Some might say I was being melodramatic, and if it were just about any other band I would see their point. But when the Pixies play it's not just a show, it's an event. And as this current tour sees the band marking the 20th anniversary of the release of Doolittle by playing it in its entirety, not since their first reunion shows in 2004 has this been truer. Imagine my joy then, when somehow, at the 11th hour, I managed to procure a ticket to one of the shows. I would be seeing the Pixies.
Finally the night arrived and before proceedings kicked off we were treated to both UK band Art Brut (playing thrillingly satirical punk rock) and scenes from Luis Bunuel's film Un Chien Andalou ("slicing up eyeballs, I want you to know") before Joey Santiago, Black Francis, Kim Deal and David Lovering calmly walked onto the stage.
Opening, completely unexpectedly, with "Dancing the Manta Ray", the first four tracks comprised all b-sides before the screen behind the band flashed "Doolittle" and the opening bass notes of "Debaser" rang out over the cheers. From there on in it was a veritable feast of melodies and rhythms that have been a primary part of some people's consciousness for the past 20 years. Each time a song would finish the lights dimmed until another anticipated intro began with its own unique visual accompaniment. While this flourish helped to make the experience as far from sitting at home and listening to the album as possible, it was also helped by the chemistry of the four middle-aged musicians onstage, whose reputations more than preceded them. As Kim Deal jokingly asked the audience if they knew what was coming next, Santiago and Francis mis-timed the intro to "Here Comes Your Man" and the band and the audience succumbed to fits of laughter.
Moving on through "Monkey Gone to Heaven", the Lovering voiced "La La Love You" to the suitably climactic "Gouge Away", Doolittle was brought to life through not only the bands affectionate performance, but also the addition of 5,000 voices harmonising the lyrics back at them. Taking the front of the stage to accept their applause, Santiago, Francis, Deal and Lovering also appeared in a projection at the rear, bowing in unison. As they walked off, this visualisation remained to give the crowd something to applaud while the Pixies readied themselves for their encore.
Reacquainted with their instruments, the band broke into the two b-sides from "Here Comes Your Man"; "Wave of Mutilation [UK Surf]" and "Into the White", the latter of which saw the band completely obscured by the dry-ice machines at either side of the stage. But it was the second encore that really topped off the night as what most of us dared not to expect came true and non-Doolittle material swelled throughout the room. First was the lilting "Caribou", before Deal kicked straight in with the bass riff for "Gigantic". The collective hairs on the back of everyone's neck stood on end, while their voices screamed the refrain in unison. A truly magical night, befitting a truly magical band.
Video: "Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies
