Tuesday, 8 April 2025
The Pineapple Thief came to Rockefeller to support their latest, acclaimed, output “It Leads To This”, an album which expanded the band’s sonic vocabulary to be something richer and darker. The set brought us eight tracks from the new record, the better part of it, along with the headline tracks from their recent albums, the required fan favourites, and at least one nice surprise.
The sound from the first moment was excellent. The balance between the instruments was near perfect, there was space in the sound, and the vocals were crystal clear. The overall experience of the concert could not be faulted. The band’s team had done a first rate job delivering the music to the audience. Oh, and no-one was talking….
And the audience were on their side too. A warm greeting when the band came on stage was followed by a spontaneous cheer during the next quiet section, and track after track was cheered on after the first recognisable notes, like the first snare roll on “In Exile” or the first notes of the guitar motif in “Alone At Sea” during the encore. This was a not-too-modest crowd of proper supporters of the band who did not miss a beat.
They were rewarded, too. What followed was a performance of the highest quality and commitment. Bruce Soord was frontman par excellence, his characteristic hand gestures punching home every brutal lyric, like on “Demons”, when he wasn’t twirling his guitar around his head or bent over it squeezing a guitar solo out of the upper reaches of the fretboard like on “Put It Right”. He made good use of his whammy pedal, as well, making the guitar scream. His vocal delivery was strong for most of the set, high, clear, and authoritative.
Jon Sykes’s supporting vocals were no less, completing that distinctive Pineapple Thief sound. His bass playing, however, was first rate. He was solid when he needed to be solid, he was groovy when that was required, like on “Put It Right”, and he was lyrical when there was room in the music, like in “Threatening War” in the mid-set acoustic patch.
Gavin Harrison, who no doubt is part of the band’s increased reach, was of course a strong presence with his unmistakable playing style. But it must be said that he did not dominate proceedings. He is a musician first, a drummer second, and his playing was consistently complementary. He was particularly on song during “Our Mire”, “Give It Back” and “Versions of the Truth”. The snare work alone always makes it worth giving him a few moments of undivided attention. He kept the double-bass pedalling to a minimum too, leaving room for the guitars and bass to provide the force.
The new tracks gave keyboard and synth player Steve Kitch a chance to show off his expanded range, with synth washes and effects bringing in, building up, or leading out the tracks. This was atmospheric stuff, like on “Rubicon” and “Now It’s Yours” where he and Soord merged their sounds to provide a fascinating texture. His more regular piano and Rhodes-style vibes playing was also nicely judged, delicate, decorative, balanced.
All of this was supported by Cornish guitarist and producer Beren Matthews who had several opportunities to show off his chops, with brutal, soaring solos, like on “In Exile” and “White Mist”, and he also got to show his punk sensibilities on “Give It Back”.
There were too many “highlights” to mention – the set was a long parade of good performances from a band who were tight as they could have been. Every track landed, there were no moments where the atmosphere dipped or the band lost their thread or their connection with the audience. Even the acoustic set, which was necessarily more low-key, still kept us engaged. The newest pieces, on balance, stood out the most. “All That’s Left” was explosive, near overwhelming in its force, “To Forget” was painful, earnest, and “Put It Right” was catchy, groovy, slick.
Of course, the fan favourites “Alone At Sea” and “Give It Back” had to be there, but there was also a beautiful rendition of “Snowdrops” from the “Little Man” album during the acoustic set, which was a lovely addition to the show, something that’s hardly been played since 2019. Joyous stuff, and giving Soord a chance to put out some more delicate vocals. We closed with “Final Thing On My Mind”. The final thing on the mind of the undersigned was “What, it’s time to go home now?” A two hour set is a decent one by contemporary standards, but it flew past. But for the three acoustic songs in the middle, it was relentless, emotionally intense, and forcefully executed. A band that is continuing to up their game in writing and performance. They really did give it (back). 5.5/6
Text: Alex Maines
Photography: Anne-Marie Forker
