After a week of record-breaking temperatures, there was something peaceful about arriving at the Eden Project on a Friday evening, the biomes glowing in the late sunshine as hundreds of fans streamed down to the arena to witness one of alternative rock’s most influential bands play in Cornwall. The heatwave showed no signs of easing, as the doors opened and some ran for their spot at the barrier, with others relaxing on the grass hills towards the back with their double pints of cider.
Opening the evening were Birmingham trio Gans. I was so excited to see that the band were on the lineup, after hearing many good things from friends in the industry, but had never seen them play a gig in the Southwest before. They wasted no time in making an impression. Their abrasive post-punk was delivered with a relentless wall of intensity, to the point where us photographers in the pit were genuinely asking each other whether they’d already played three songs or not, each track crashing into the next. In what I think was the third song, the drummer took off his top and got up from behind his drum kit, encouraging a circle pit to form and not long after, jumping into the crowd and surfing on top of the fans. I watched from the side of the stage, bemused and disappointed that he did this during the fourth song, when I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures! Typical!
Then came Pixies. They launched into Cactus, Nimrod’s Son and then, I heard the opening chord of Here Comes Your Man. That song was one of the moments that reminds you why live music is so special: with a packed electrified bouncing crowd behind me and the band themselves in front of me, I was sandwiched between thousands of voices and Pixies, during one of their most iconic songs under the clear Cornish sky, it was a moment I won’t forget. It was also, admittedly, the point where I realised I’d made a huge mistake by forgetting my ear protection…Pixies have never been a quiet band, and the volume definitely didn’t subside when I made my way back into the crowd after the first three songs. Every distorted guitar riff and drum fill hit with force, feeling as much of a physical performance as it was musical.
Highlights on the setlist for me were bouncing along to Monkey Gone To Heaven and Wave of Mutilation, unmistakably fan favourites, but the setlist also offered covers like Head On by Jesus and Mary Chain and In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song) by Peter Ivers and David Lynch.
Undoubtedly, they never let the momentum drop. For me, if there was one disappointment, it was the absence of Velouria from the set. With such an iconic catalogue, some missing songs are inevitable, but I’m sure these were ones many fans were hoping to hear
.The Eden Sessions always offer a unique setting for live music and it was here that Pixies proved their music hasn’t lost its power. There aren’t many places where you can watch a band like Pixies, framed by giant illuminated rainforest domes as the sun slowly disappears into a sky of wispy pink.
Sometimes all you need is a bit of sun, nature and ninety minutes of being beautifully deafened.
Words and Pictures by Anna Leader ©
