Live Review: Pierce the Veil - Alexandra Palace, London 13/04/2024
Playing to a sold out crowd in London’s iconic Alexandra Palace, Pierce the Veil show that they are iconic in their own right with an unforgettable performance that will remain fixed in fans’ memories for some time to come.
There are two types of people in this world: those who know Pierce the Veil, and those who know of Pierce the Veil. The band has been instrumental in shaping the emo scene, so it comes as no surprise that London’s Alexandra Palace was filled on Saturday evening with people coming to watch a band who has felt like a lifeline in times of need. With a mix of old and new fans, it stands testament to Pierce the Veil’s ability to create music that holds impact across generations, as they boast a discography spanning the best part of two decades. With Holding Absence and Dayseeker supporting, it was an unforgettable evening that reminded us of how powerful music can be in bringing us comfort.
Holding Absence have gone from strength to strength in recent years; it was only 2019 when they were playing venues like Camden’s Underworld with a 500-person capacity, yet they looked just at ease tonight when performing to a crowd of over 10,000 people. Frontman Lucas Woodland is a tour de force, both in his musical abilities and stage presence, and the clarity of his voice resounded through the venue in a way that made it seem like he was born for this very moment. Despite the brevity of their set, they showcased all facets of their musicality; ‘Like A Shadow’ provided a rousing start with a chorus so hooking that even Mike Tyson would be jealous, while ‘Aching Longing’ saw guitarist Scott Carey standing as a forceful counterpart with crushing growls against the poignant, soaring vocals of Lucas. The pummeling drums in ‘Her Wings’ raised the adrenaline in the room, while ‘A Crooked Melody’ displayed a more raw side to the band with poignant lyricism, before ‘Afterlife’ closed off a truly exceptional set from a band who are hitting the prime of their career.
While Holding Absence set a very high bar for the evening, Dayseeker stepped right up to the plate with their explosively dynamic performance. From the get-go, it was clear that this was a highly polished band who knew precisely how they wanted to deliver their performance. ‘Gates of Ivory’ was a blistering start as guttural screams juxtaposed against Rory Rodriguez’s searing vocals, before a caustic breakdown teased a different type of heaviness to what we previously experienced. ‘Crooked Soul’ was similarly hard-hitting with its frenetic guitars and hammering basslines, while ‘Burial Plot’ slowed the pace down without losing any of the intensity. ‘Without Me’ tugged at heartstrings with its bruising melodies, but nothing could quite hold a candle to the band’s acoustic rendition of ‘Starving to be Empty’, where Lucas from Holding Absence was brought back onto stage. With their vocal harmonies seamlessly melding together, Rory and Lucas felt like two parts to a greater whole and the soft rendition was a standout moment amidst the otherwise relentless energy of the evening.
With so much anticipation built up since they returned from their hiatus, Pierce the Veil had a lot to live up to with the Jaws of Life tour yet they appeared more re-energised, re-focused, and revived than ever. From the get-go, ‘Death of an Executioner’ saw the crowd singing along at a deafening volume which never ceased for the remainder of the evening, and this was equally matched by the energy on stage with smoke and confetti raining down on a host of fans who have been waiting a long time for this (metaphorically and literally, with some having queued for nearly 12 hours to see their favourite band). One could hardly help but wonder whether Alexandra Palace had shrunk as the evening progressed, as it seemed as if it could barely hold the unwavering devotion of the crowd. But this was also because of how intimately the band connected with their fans - and nowhere was this more clear than when frontman Vic Fuentes invited a fan, donning a wedding dress and veil as homage to the band’s name, up to stage and gifted her his guitar in ‘Hold On Till May’. I’ve certainly been to a fair few gigs in my life, but I have never seen any musicians reciprocating their gratitude to their fanbase on the same level and it only adds to the appreciation and respect for Pierce the Veil as not only musicians, but as genuine, kind-hearted people.
Bringing together a setlist that saw the likes of cult classic ‘Caraphernalia’ and ‘Bulletproof Love’, mixed in with recent successes ‘Pass the Nirvana’ and ‘Emergency Contact’ - as this is, after all, an album tour - it was an evening that kept you on your toes, with Vic, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Preciado barely staying in the same spot for more than a minute. Between guitar-throwing, fireworks, and more spins and jumps than you can keep count of, this was showmanship at its finest and you could not have asked for more. As they closed up the encore with the iconic ‘King for a Day’, it was easy to walk out of the show thinking that Pierce the Veil have become kings not just for a day, but have firmly established themselves as royalties of the scene in both years past and for years to come.
Words by Athena Kam
Photography by Joshua Russell
