The Pixies returned to Melbourne for a dazzling, sharp performance that illustrated their continued legacy as an iconic band within the alternative rock genre. Their last Australian tour was in 2014 for Sydney’s Vivid festival. Three years later, they’ve made their return, touring their latest album Head Carrier.
The Pixies have been rocking since the ‘80s. Since then, they’ve collected a strong assembly of devoted fans spanning a wide range of ages that included the young, zealous fans mixed with those that had been there from the start. The large range in audience age highlighted how their old music is classic and timeless while their new material is still as strong.
Their set opened strongly with the timeless U-Mass followed by Broken Face and Head On. Opening with three cult classics provided an ambience of nostalgia sweetly matched with a sharpness in tone, showing that the Pixies have still got it. Throughout the set, the Pixies played songs from their more recent album. These songs, including Baal’s Back fit seamlessly within the rest of their musical oeuvre. The stand out from Head Carrier was of course the much-anticipated All I Think About Now, a song dedicated to original bass player Kim Deal. Yet it was for their classics, Here Comes Your Man, La La Love You, and Where is My Mind that the crowd went wild for.
The overall strengths of the performance were the sharp sounds and smooth transitions between songs. Possibly due to the large setlist, the Pixies did not divulge in banter or talking with the audience at any point. The closest they came was when Francis screamed “Hey” to the audience, followed with the well known bass line from their 1988 hit Hey. Yet their showmanship was nonetheless brilliant. They sustained an energy and professional sound throughout the entire performance and even provided a wonderful encore of Into the White.
Words by Rose Maurice
Image by Shaina Glenny
Highlights: The sustained sharpness was remarkable.
Lowlights: $5 for a bottle of water and you couldn’t even keep the lid.
Crowd Favourite: Where is My Mind?
