Live review
Pixies stay true to their no-nonsense roots for special Royal Albert Hall anniversary outing
28th May 2026
For all their understated demeanour, they clearly don’t take the last four decades for granted.
Forty years on from their formation in the Boston indie club scene, Pixies have entered territory once unimaginable: that of a legacy act. Yet as they take to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall, there’s little sense of a band coasting on their reputation alone. Led by Black Francis and his stoic charm, they remain firmly attached to their no-nonsense roots. Raising a mug of tea to the crowd, Francis offers one of the evening’s few acknowledgements, dispensing with any unnecessary theatrics and getting straight to the point.
Opening up the evening are GANS. Despite frontman Euan Woodman repeatedly describing the audience as “a stiff crowd”, the Black Country group make quick work of loosening people up, throwing themselves around the stage and eventually into the crowd itself. Their blend of industrial dance-punk, punctuated with flourishes of flute and saxophone, provides a fitting start to the evening, firmly winning over the room as they channel a similarly uncompromising spirit to the night’s headliners (albeit with a perhaps more youthful energy). Maybe most impressively, and with a little encouragement from Woodman, they somehow succeed in opening up not one, but two circle pits in a venue normally more accustomed to seated ovations than moshing.
With the Royal Albert Hall thoroughly shaken from its usual composure, the audience’s focus turns entirely to Pixies. Any lingering sense of restraint quickly dissipates as ‘Here Comes Your Man’ sparks one of the evening's first major crowd eruptions, while the deep, grinding groove of ‘Gouge Away’ prompts a sea of nodding heads beneath the auditorium’s ornate dome. Despite the band’s vintage, it's remarkable how little these songs have aged. Their signature quiet-loud dynamics, earworm guitar melodies and off-beat lyrics feel as relevant as ever, and serve as a reminder of the blueprint they’ve provided for the countless alternative bands who have followed.
Original bassist Kim Deal may loom large in Pixies folklore, but since joining in 2024, Emma Richardson hasn’t been overshadowed by the comparison. The former Band of Skulls bassist has quickly made the role her own; specifically, her take on ‘In Heaven’ - historically performed by Deal - proves a standout moment, seamlessly capturing the eerie charm that has long run through Pixies’ music. Alongside her, Joey Santiago leans into their legacy act, removing his carefully-placed flat cap to run it along the strings of his guitar, adding a wash of distorted wails between his signature playing. Completing the near all-original line-up is David Lovering, whose dynamic and precise drumming remains a constant anchor and completes the band’s classic sound.
With little space for breath left, the group approach the home straight of the evening - and, if there were any still holding out amongst the seated crowd, ‘Debaser’ quickly does away with their lingering hesitations. The band then reel off ‘Monkey Gone To Heaven’ and ‘Where Is My Mind?’ with a confidence bordering on nonchalance, but these now-iconic cuts are met with anything but from new recruits and die-hard fans alike. Finally, in a rare break from character, Francis leads the band forward to take a well-deserved bow, delivering a genuine show of gratitude. For all their understated demeanour, Pixies clearly don’t take the last four decades for granted.
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