Live Review: Peach Pit - Troxy, London 16/06/2023
This sold out event was demonstrative of Peach Pit’s far-reach into the hearts and minds of young music fans, who came out in their droves to support the Canadian quartet.
The crowd were lucky enough to get two support acts before the headliner on this hot and humid Friday evening, and fans were filling up the spaces in anticipation for the night ahead. The crowd were kind to Phoebe Green, the first support act, and many were already ready and willing to embrace an upcoming artist. Green’s bedroom-pop, angsty presence set the scene nicely for the rest of the gig, as each act’s style complemented the next.
After a short break, The Walters were on next, and the crowd were enamoured. They hail from Chicago, Illinois, and have been on the indie scene for nearly a decade. The venue was over half-full at this point, and with soft lighting and an even softer cadence, the band had us in the palm of their hand for the entirety of their set. They had two standout songs, the first being their newly-released single “Stuck In My Ways” - the song was short, snappy and had an almost bijou-esque vibe that emanated across the venue. The second was of course their magnum opus (so far) “I Love You So” (2014) which had a resurgence of popularity due to TikTok, and actually got the band back together. This felt like a monumental event in indie-pop culture, as this song was not performed for years, and fans both old and new had the chance to see it live. It went down a storm, and the crowd sang the famous words back to them.
The crowd gathered itself again, freshly hydrated by the security and the bar, and continued on. The entrance of Peach Pit induced a roar of excitement, and the genuine admiration and love for the band was a pleasure to see. The lead singer, Neil Smith, seemed equally enamoured with his Brit following, being sure to include those in the pit, at the back, and those seated. The lights were simple: pink and punchy, and they had us focused on the music with little in the way of gimmicks or imagery.
Their debut song of the night was a cover of Raining Blood by Slayer, and got the crowd hot, bothered and moving. The band then lured us in with the singles Being So Normal & Techno Snow (2018) off of the album that aided their rise to indie-stardom, and their erratic guitar riffs, melodic drumming, and dulcet tones were well-received.
The most surprising, and fantastic element to their whole show was how well the crowd knew the words to their latest offering From 2 to 3 (2022). The album has been out for a year, and it is clear that their devoted fans were chomping at the bit to hear it in the flesh, and for good reason. The album plays like one long love letter, and one we can immerse ourselves in. The performance of “Up Granville” and “Look Out!” appeared to be particular favourites.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Peach Pit gig without “Alrighty Aphrodite” (2018), which saw moshing, and Smith crowd-surfing with no holds barred. It was an awesome sight to see, and a lovely close to the evening.
Words by Megan Budgen
Photography by Abigail Shii
