The Pixies 30/8/2005

I wasn't aware of The Pixies in their heyday but their reformation gave me the first opportunity to see them live having become pretty addicted to 'Doolittle' in the meantime. I just managed to get hold of a ticket fairly well back in the balcony of the Apollo, Manchester and sat back not really knowing what to expect from a reformed Pixies live. It was startlingly and viscerally great. The band is so tight, the guitars are so precise, the vocals from Black Francis and indeed Kim Deal are so distinctive and full of power and then of course the songs are classic howls of anger and emotion. The sound is very dense but you can dive right into it. I was not used to hearing such short tracks live* but they stop one and immediately start another so it doesn't matter. The classic tracks from 'Doolittle' were there - 'Wave of Mutilation' very early on and just immensely powerful; 'Monkey Gone to Heaven' with its astonishing vocals shouted out but perfectly in tune; the extraordinary 'Debaser' and the tuneful 'Here Comes Your Man'. 'Winterlong' was a surprise and a joy - I wasn't expecting a Neil Young cover and 'Where is My Mind' near the end followed by the amazing 'Gigantic' with Kim Deal's vocals front and centre. Brilliant - just brilliant. * except for Creedence Clearwater Revival in The Albert Hall in 1970!