Page 46 - 367639 LP248834 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) October 2022

GIG REVIEW
GIG REVIEW
DOYLE
AT THE CLUNY, NEWCASTLE – 10/08/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
Given the number of Misfits T-shirts and tattoos on show, it’s clear who, and what, the main focal point of the show is tonight. Arriving on stage like a Greek God blocking out the sun, it’s also hard to miss that focal point, aka Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, potentially the closest you’ll see to a real-life cartoon superhero with his tall, chiselled stature and anime stage costume, as he strides into The Cluny like a man possessed. Now 57, and the best reference you’re likely to find for clean living, Doyle plays like a man half, no, make that a third, of his age, blowing his bubble gum as he smashes his guitar through some sublime punk/metal standards. Supported by his touring band, including the intense frontman Wolfman (the “This is a love song, you can dance to it if you like” introductions never losing their humour), the Doyle band crack through a solid punk/metal show including highlight, ‘Dreaming Dead Girls’. It’s a short set, some 45-minutes or so, but it’s intense and more than enough, with Doyle playing in such a truly unique and powerful manner as if he’s trying to force the music by playing as hard as possible. It may be over quickly, but when you play this intensely, that’s fine.
DAMIAN ROBINSON
PIXIES
AT 02 CITY HALL, NEWCASTLE – 06/08/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
In 1988, ‘Surfer Rosa’ was released and alternative music was changed forever. In 1989, ‘Doolittle’ was released and Pixies were immortalized eternally. 2022 sees the iconic indie band fill Newcastle’s City Hall for 39 songs of jarring, brooding music that may be as divisive now as it was in ‘88. Black Francis arrives on stage, clad in black, with a gaunt expression on his face. Looking across the audience, he lets out an audible sigh, as if bracing himself for the mammoth setlist, then leaps into Cecilia Ann. With the performance spanning two hours, there were inevitably quieter moments featuring tracks that may appear rouge to passing listeners, yet naturally, for every song lost on the audience, a Pixies classic was always around the corner. Only three songs in, we reach our first juggernaut, ‘Wave of Mutilation’. Grinding guitars and pounding drums set the avid crowd ablaze as the unmistakable intro leads into the historic chorus, backed by a choir that seems to genuinely excite the band. Where Francis may remain in the shadows of the stage lights, never one for pleasantries, it’s during the moments where the crowd is most vocal that guitarist Joey Santiago truly steps into his own. Flinging the guitar in every feasible direction, Santiago’s impassioned bursts of energy may be
the closest thing Pixies provide to a visual performance. The revolutionary discography of Pixies is a singular, trailblazing vision that permanently flipped the conviction, dedication and destination of the genre. Tenderly melodic passages would be thrust into a direct juxtaposition with the most barbaric explorations of atonal, dissonant pop. The serenity of Kim Deal’s vocals would contrast with Black’s perfectly and tonight, Deal’s replacement (Paz Lenchantin) wasted no time fulfilling her role in the anarchy. Where Francis was never praised as a seamless vocalist, he’s now more rickety and frail than ever, coasting through the songs until it was time for that renowned scream. Cocking his head back, the bracing wail remains undeniable. Performing 12 of the 15 songs of ‘Doolittle’, the hits were never far between. And each time a Pixies essential rolled along, it hit with the timeless force of a jackhammer. Ignoring an overblown setlist and a frontman maybe starting to exceed his prime, the night was a celebration of a phenomenal and important band, with a catalogue that profoundly resonates to this day, and nothing illustrated that better than the crowd's reaction to the flawless finale, ‘Where is My Mind’.
CAMERON WRIGHT
GIG REVIEW
EFTERKLANG
AT GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE, NEWCASTLE - 24/08/2022
NE VOLUME RATING 
Danish trio Efterklang didn’t just play a gig tonight - they threw a party. Efterklang frontman, Casper Clausen, is a showman - and his evident enjoyment and ease on stage is infectious. Throughout the evening, there were various costume changes (he started out wearing a Gosforth Civic Theatre T-Shirt), making it a bit of a fashion show as well as a superb gig. The set included songs both in Danish and English, with Clausen adding to the melodic nature of the songs by playing a Soma Pipe (a mouth-controlled synthesizer). The trio also features Mads Brauer and Rasmus Stolberg who help to make their set a joyful and fun-filled live experience – and they were also joined by a drummer/vocalist and keyboard player for tonight’s gig. The encore lasted almost as long as the set and culminated in the audience abandoning their seats, with Clausen sitting on the floor among them as he sang. This was a night to remember, especially as it was one of just three UK gigs on their Windflowers tour. EMMA CHESWORTH
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