A music magazine made for young people by young people.
PIXIES: AVIVA STUDIOS Written By Lucas Brundrett
On a hot, humid bank holiday Monday 3,600 people crammed into a, thankfully air-conditioned, "Andrew Law Hall" within the "home of factory international"-Aviva Studios, for night two of the Pixies' stop off in Manchester on their 40th anniversary tour. Aviva Studios itself is relatively new (opened in 2023)- purpose-built for "intimate theatre shows and intricate exhibitions" located on the outskirts of town typically a "landmark" rather than a music venue.
Tonight, the pixies would provide their own intimate experience as they churned out decades of rock and roll classics to an eagerly anticipating audience. The audience in question- a diverse mix of ages proving the bands increasing relevance in the ever changing music scene of today.
We were warmed up by the new on the scene, midlands trio GANS who, fusing
P woodwind instruments with moody synths and reverberated drums kits, resembled a sound similar to lcd soundsystem. However, the sheer uniqueness of the performance resembled something indescribable and almost impossible to categorise as the drummer jumped into the crowd on the final song, fulfilling headstands in his wiggly flamboyant nature.
It was evident from the get go perhaps why the venue rarely held live music, as the sound quality was quiet and bluntly underwhelming, epitomized by the lack of clarity in the bands vocals as they directed the audience to wave side to side- in which there was many puzzled looks as concert goers were unsure of what they were actually being asked to do.
Nevertheless, around half an hour later, greeted by excited applause, the iconic Boston band walked on stage, Black Francis paying homage to the 40th anniversary with his steaming mug of tea held to the crowd. With little to no hesitation
Pixies: Aviva Studios