Boston-born American alternative rock band Pixies played a ground-shaking gig at Festival Hall to a deafening crowd. Amongst the audience, I was quite literally blown away by their seismic stage presence and dedication to their long-term loyal fanbase.

This time last year my mum and I took our seats far back on the right-hand side of the stage at Marvel stadium to see Pearl Jam’s headlining tour. I had fallen to my knees earlier that year when I was told that Pixies were set to open for them at a hospitality course I was taking. At the time they were probably my favourite band. Placed alongside Pearl Jam and Aussie up-and-comers Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, the gig was going to be lethal. Pixies, who emerged in the mid ‘80s, are also my mum's favourite band. She might have introduced me to them or at least my love for them had revived hers. So, when their 2025 tour was announced for this November I knew I had to see them once again.

Having gone to their first performance the previous night, an intimate fan experience, I knew my expectations were going to be met with passion and intensity. The band had astoundingly played two albums back-to-back, Bossa Nova (1990) and Trompe Le Monde (1991). They offered introductions here and there, reminiscing on the quirky background of various songs. For example, noting the story of where the love song ‘Velouria’ came from, based on a woman associated with the folklore of the Roscicrucians of San Jose California and lead singer Black Francis’ fascination with conspiracy theories and extraterrestrial life. Through these asides, the band displayed their gratitude and love for their fans through their volcanic music in true punk rock fashion. Undoubtedly, the much anticipated ‘Classic Set’ on 20 November, the subject of this review, was going to be a mighty eruption.

Festival Hall was the perfect venue. Guitars could be heard roaring from outside, its acoustics and atmosphere complimented the climactic energy of an iconic alternative sound. The opening act duo–Elliot & Vincent—from Auckland, New Zealand—brought an interesting new sound that also harkened back to Pixies’ punk roots. At the will of their instruments, the pair seemed to perform their songs intuitively as if the music was arriving to them at that moment. Elliot Finn, lead singer and drummer’s intense vocals emulated the character of Bjork or Elizabeth Fraser’s as she gnashed against the power of her drums. Her sound dived about in a back-and-forth with music partner, Vincent Cherry’s car-engine-like guitar, their stage chemistry immense. At times their sound felt fresh and completely new, yet also encapsulated classic rock n roll. Some of the songs seemed overly repetitive but there was an untold power in their complete surrender to sound.

Pixies are well-versed in enduring high-energy rock performances for their loyal fan base and this gig can wholeheartedly attest. Similar to when I saw the band with my mum in 2024, much of the crowd consisted of parent/child pairs, which paints the picture of Pixies’ timelessness, passed between generations. They shoved the doors open with a siren-like ballad, originally from David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977) ‘In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)’ sung by bassist Kim Deal. It was an ode to obscure art and surreality. The band was calling us back into their whimsical, dark and obscure world. ‘Death Horizon’ set the hyper-energised tone for the remaining hour-and-a-half show, paving the way for the beloved 1989 classic, ‘Here Comes Your Man,’ a personal favourite with its iconic light-hearted riff and bellowing bass-line. Though I felt this particular live version was a little out of tune for such a clean and complex song. They had set the tone for the following set and Black Francis (Charles Thompson), lead singer and guitarist had reminded his audience of the reach of his powerful vocals lending some teaser high notes to be stretched in the songs to come.

The guitar experimentation performed by Joey Santiago during and following the song ‘Ed is Dead’ bled roughly and satisfyingly into ‘Vamos,’ the first Latin influenced song of the night. It was hard to tear my eyes away from the stage, or lift my jaw from the ground. Later on, the band performed ‘Isla de Encanta.’ Sung in both Spanish and English, ‘Isla’ referenced Thompson’s time spent in Puerto Rico which propelled the formation of the band and the creation of their first album Surfer Rosa (1987): a unique and enduring theme in their ageless sound and strange aesthetic.

As we neared the latter end of the set, ‘Hey,’ ‘Gouge Away,’ and ‘Waves of Multilation,’ off of their critically acclaimed album Doolittle (1989), rushed in one after one another, churning throughout the space like the cogs of a well oiled machine. At this point I was completely inundated by their music. It had eaten away my hearing in painful, satisfying waves of mutilation, this monkey had gone to heaven! They had reached the “loud, quiet, loud” signature of their influential sound. Pixies were performing with astounding stamina, energy and dedication. The glory of their passion for the stage was clearly still very much fresh even if the band weren't as young as they used to be.

A cover of ‘Head On’ by the Jesus and Mary Chain was a sweet distraction and transition into their cluster of closing songs. Another performance of ‘Waves of Mutilation,’ surf-rock/acoustic style, shook the audience awake once more for the final blow of the encore. ‘Where is my Mind?’ well known for featuring in the iconic final scene of Fight Club (1999), came tumbling down on us like a falling building and ‘Debaser’ was its classic charming self. Their final song ‘Into the White,’ performed once again by the alluring Deal, house lights up, left us on a high with its upbeat but nonetheless edgy tune sending everyone off into the night. A final detail was the spirit lifting (no pun-intended) and crowd rallying traditional folk X punk, Pogues song ‘Streams of Whisky’ which echoed from the speakers as the audience cleared out. We were energised, exhausted (perhaps not as much as the band) and a bit hard of hearing. Pixies at Festival Hall reminded us of their colossal artistry and ripping sound as the band stomped back onto their stage, a force to be reckoned with.