Pixies ProfilePixies are back on our shores to promote their new album, their first in 23 years, but the 30-song set at their sold out Opera House show thankfully featured a terrific range of material, including new songs, buried treasure, and a generous helping of the band's staples and fan favourites.
The absence of Kim Deal has been one of the biggest points of disappointment in Pixies' new material, but touring bassist Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle) filled in the gaps admirably; not just on bass, but also in replicating Deal's signature vocal parts. Even on Deal-heavy tracks like Velouria and Debaser, the balance seemed right between Black Francis' often frantic shrieking vocals and Lenchantin's support. Also worth mentioning is how damn pleased she seemed to be there; her delighted grin barely left her face.
Reactions to the band's new material were mixed at best; you could feel the air sucking out of the room somewhat as the electric drums and synth bass that begin Bagboy kicked off the first new song of the night. While that track is a highlight of Indie Cindy, it felt a little tepid in comparison to the band's better-known songs, and Lenchantin didn't seem to have too much to do on stage. It was about the same with the mid-tempo slouch of Magdalena 318 and the aggressively normal Greens And Blues.
However, the band regularly followed up each new song with a fan favourite. It'll be an uphill battle trying to get people as excited about What Goes Boom as they are about Hey, but the new songs do have their place in the set. The title track from the new LP in particular seemed to find its footing on stage, helped by some great interrogative lighting during the impassioned, shout-sung verses. But what really stuck, of course, were the tested Pixies hits. Singing along to the bridge of Monkey Gone To Heaven or the chorus of Where Is My Mind in a full concert hall is a live experience unlike any other.
