Pavement at Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy, 11 May 2010
Every year there seems to be another big reunion making the indie world abandon their cool to squeal in excitement and this year there's been two, Soundgarden and Pavement. While the Seattle grunge rockers comeback is still in its early stages (they've only played one show so far), the far hipper Pavement have already played shows down under, in Japan and in the States. These are their first London shows though in a decade and they haven't been stingy with them either, playing a week-long residency at Brixton Academy.
Maybe it's because it isn't the first night of their reunion (in the tour or in London - this is the second night of the Brixton shows) but there isn't the air of excitement there was at last year's big reunion at the same venue, Faith No More's knock-out return. Or it could be because Pavement's laid back attitude entices a more casual response. In fact, when the band take to the stage it feels like they've only been away for a couple of years, rather than 10, and there's a nonchalant air about the band as they launch into Cut Your Hair. And despite all this, it sounds fantastic, like a lost classic reborn complete with sing-along moments and discordant guitars.
Stephen Malkmus though looks bored as they smoothly move into the next number, Kennel District, as he spends most of the song inventing new ways to hold his guitar while not on lead vocals. And, to be honest, the whole show goes rather smoothly, with the band moving into the roles of old pros playing songs they are at home and familiar with. This means they play well but it lacks the edginess of their shows back in the 90s, which is when I last saw them live. With Malkmus you get the sense that he didn't really want a Pavement reunion but has just accepted the inevitable, even on stage. While flicking guitar picks into the audience, he jokingly tells us it's a trick he learned "in rock school back in Portland" but, even though said in jest, there is a feeling of going through the motions, at the start at least.
With the rest of the band seeming to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, eventually the feeling does seem to rub off onto Malkmus and about halfway through it shifts gear, maybe because the songs are so great: Rattled By The Rush (probably their most rock song), Gold Soundz, Stereo (which has the crowd singing along, even the Geddy Lee bit), Silence Kit, Shady Lane and the energetic Fight This Generation, which sounds like a cross between The Fall and Fugazi (a pretty awesome combination). The range of material across the 31-song set is undeniably impressive, talking in songs from all the band's albums, so there was little to complain about, although I must admit I would have been thrilled to have heard Range Life in there somewhere, but it's a small gripe.
The greatest moment for me came with the first encore with Slanted And Enchanted's brilliantly building In The Mouth Of A Desert, which turned into this beautiful mess of guitar and feedback worthy of Sonic Youth. Followed by Debris Slide and Fin, Malkus really seemed to be feeling these songs and they sounded amazing (especially impressive given the sound at the Academy that night was a little groggy, I thought).
The second encore saw them getting a little Flaming Lips spirit by bouncing huge colourful balloons across the audience while they treated us to Two States, a glorious Summer Babe and Stop Breathin' (a great song, but a rather curious closer I felt), which all added to the fun of it all.
So, all in all, a good solid return, if not a spectacular one. If I hadn't seen Pavement back in the 90s I may have been more enthusiastic about this show, but for me it didn't quite reach the heights of the Pavement of old.
Maybe it's because it isn't the first night of their reunion (in the tour or in London - this is the second night of the Brixton shows) but there isn't the air of excitement there was at last year's big reunion at the same venue, Faith No More's knock-out return. Or it could be because Pavement's laid back attitude entices a more casual response. In fact, when the band take to the stage it feels like they've only been away for a couple of years, rather than 10, and there's a nonchalant air about the band as they launch into Cut Your Hair. And despite all this, it sounds fantastic, like a lost classic reborn complete with sing-along moments and discordant guitars.
Stephen Malkmus though looks bored as they smoothly move into the next number, Kennel District, as he spends most of the song inventing new ways to hold his guitar while not on lead vocals. And, to be honest, the whole show goes rather smoothly, with the band moving into the roles of old pros playing songs they are at home and familiar with. This means they play well but it lacks the edginess of their shows back in the 90s, which is when I last saw them live. With Malkmus you get the sense that he didn't really want a Pavement reunion but has just accepted the inevitable, even on stage. While flicking guitar picks into the audience, he jokingly tells us it's a trick he learned "in rock school back in Portland" but, even though said in jest, there is a feeling of going through the motions, at the start at least.
With the rest of the band seeming to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, eventually the feeling does seem to rub off onto Malkmus and about halfway through it shifts gear, maybe because the songs are so great: Rattled By The Rush (probably their most rock song), Gold Soundz, Stereo (which has the crowd singing along, even the Geddy Lee bit), Silence Kit, Shady Lane and the energetic Fight This Generation, which sounds like a cross between The Fall and Fugazi (a pretty awesome combination). The range of material across the 31-song set is undeniably impressive, talking in songs from all the band's albums, so there was little to complain about, although I must admit I would have been thrilled to have heard Range Life in there somewhere, but it's a small gripe.
The greatest moment for me came with the first encore with Slanted And Enchanted's brilliantly building In The Mouth Of A Desert, which turned into this beautiful mess of guitar and feedback worthy of Sonic Youth. Followed by Debris Slide and Fin, Malkus really seemed to be feeling these songs and they sounded amazing (especially impressive given the sound at the Academy that night was a little groggy, I thought).
The second encore saw them getting a little Flaming Lips spirit by bouncing huge colourful balloons across the audience while they treated us to Two States, a glorious Summer Babe and Stop Breathin' (a great song, but a rather curious closer I felt), which all added to the fun of it all.
So, all in all, a good solid return, if not a spectacular one. If I hadn't seen Pavement back in the 90s I may have been more enthusiastic about this show, but for me it didn't quite reach the heights of the Pavement of old.
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