Gig Review: The Pixies

The Gigs: The Pixies

The Venue: Festering (oops) Festival Hall, West Melbourne

Melbourne Dates: 19 and 20 November - the last stop on the Australian Tour

Stars: 4.5 (only because they didn't play Levitate Me).

I had lunch with my friend the engineer today. I explained that I was a bit salty for organising this lunch today because I'd been out to see The Pixies on two consecutive school nights and I was a bit dusty. 

Have you any idea how much energy it takes to go into mosh pit on two nights in a row when you're in your 50s?

Okay, there are some things we do better now. There's no drinking to excess. We wear sensible shoes. Some of us with sensory difficulties wear decibel limiting ear plugs. (Loop earplugs are the absolute best - no more ringing ears for a few days after a concert - and you can still hear it clearly.) As soon as the gig is over, we head home, not go down the pub. 

We're old and sensible. 

I explained this to the engineer. 

"You're going to go and wax lyrical about this bloody band again?" he asked. 

"Set the timer, give me five minutes."

"You don't change." The engineer has known me for over 15 years. He's seen me go into my Pixies stories. 

And I went on to explain, in a very animated fashion, about my two nights out with one of my favourite bands. 

Also know, I've seen them:

• At the V Festival at the Gold Coast in 2007 (the first time they'd been to Australia and Kim Deal was still their bassist. 
• At Margaret Court Arena in 2017
• At Festering oops Festival Hall in 2010
• On the Sydney Opera House fore court in 2022 (they were supposed to play in March 2020, and we got up there and they cancelled because of COVID. 
• And at the Forum in Melbourne in 2022, this time without Alice, but I did run into Jerry...
• Oh, and I saw them support Pearl Jam at Marvel Stadium last year. I could have quite happily gone home after The Pixies, but Pearl Jam were pretty good. (I'm not the only Pixies fan to feel this way.)

My mate Alice and I are complete tragics. 

We were joined by some other tragics - Steve, Steve, Steve with the tickets, Jerry, Fergus and Alice and me. We were joined by Rob and Andrew and Barry inside. 

This time round, they did two completely different sets. 

The Wednesday night set were for the real fans. They did their two albums, Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde end-to-end. These aren't their seminal albums, but they're still good. 

Wednesday night was for the hardcore fans. Festering oops Festival Hall was about 3/4 full. They put out some chairs on the side of the mosh pit so we oldies could sit down for a bit. The atmosphere was bubbling - and reverent. We all knew we were in the presence of greatness. 

With Francis Black on vocals and acoustic guitar, Joey Santiago on the electric guitar, Dave Lovering on the drums and newcomer Emma Richardson on the bass, they cut loose. 

They are also tighter than a nun's proverbial. 

They encored with Here Comes Your Man, Where is my Mind? and a cover of Neil Young's Winterlong. The crowd left very happy indeed. 

We went back the following night. The lady at the door asked if we were here last night. We were, we told her. She just shook her head at us and let us pass. 

This time there was Steve, Neil, Jerry, Barry, Alice and me. 

You get the drift. Six 50 somethings mooching along Spencer Street all excited about a gig, with our sensible shoes, glasses, band t-shirts all excited to see this greatness in action. 

The second night was more of a classic set. Songs from Surfer Rosa/Come on Pilgrim and Doolittle, along with some of their newer stuff. 

The place was sold out. 

But instead of the absolute tragics, the people who like The Pixies because they like song at the end of Fight Club, or the cover of Here Comes Your Man in 500 Days of Summer turned up. 

It was a younger crowd. It felt different, even though the music was still amazing. 

They did both versions of Wave of Mutilation - the rock version and the stripped back acoustic UK Surf track, which I rather like. They ended on Into the White, which I haven't heard in years. 

I was happy because they played Nimrod's Son, Hey and Vamos.... but they have to play Vamos.... because it shows Joey off in his best light. 

Alice was happy because they performed Head On (a Jesus and Mary Chain cover) which is her favourite. 

But they missed out on Levitate Me. And Crackity Jones...and a few others missed the cut. 

But The Pixies are still God. 

Alice and I agreed, both nights were great, but we preferred the Wednesday night with the long term, committed fans. 

Okay, that took me about ten minutes, madly talking with my hands as we waited for lunch to arrive. 

But as Alice said, as Francis Black, Joey Santiago and Dave Lovering are in their sixties now, who knows if or when they will come again. 

And this is our church. 

Alice and I worship in the mosh pit altar of what is one of the greatest bands in the world. 

You can't tell me otherwise. 

(And if you ever want me to sing you a Pixies song, I'll do it happily. That's the sort of fan I am.)

Today's Song: