• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Pale Blue Eyes

Nov 18, 2023 By Dom Gourlay Photography by Adam Houghton Web Exclusive

Being a long-standing advocate of always arriving early to watch the support act, tonight’s openers CIEL demonstrate that point effectively. Playing a blistering set that encompasses post-punk, grunge, shoegaze and all elements of guitar-based indie rock in-between, their repertoire strictly consisting of all killer, no filler. The Brighton-based trio - Groningen born singer/bass player Michelle Hindricks, Spanish guitarist Jorge Bela Jimenez and English drummer Tim Spencer - have established themselves as one of the most exciting bands on their local circuit for some time, and it’s easy to see why they’ve been tipped to breakthrough into more mainstream territories by numerous publications including Under the Radar. Recent singles “Talk” and “Make It Better” have both featured heavily on the 6Music playlist and go down a storm here alongside the other seven songs that make up this evening’s set. Comparisons with Wolf Alice and he Breeders are evident, while excitable closer “Fine Everything” strikes a similar chord to much of Hindricks’ fellow compatriot Pip Blom in its delivery. By the end, there’s a sizeable crowd watching them which bodes well for the future.

If there’s a more prolific band in the UK than Pale Blue Eyes right now we’re yet to see them. Not content with releasing one of 2022’s finest debuts in Souvenirs, they’ve gone one better with the remarkable follow-up This House that’s sure to feature at the top of many “Best of 2023” lists next month. It’s also great to see these songs come to life in the flesh, having given anyone that’s seen them at a festival or two this summer a sneak preview of what to expect. Playing as a four-piece tonight, with keyboard player John Gooding joining the core trio of bass player Aubrey Simpson alongside drummer Lucy and singer/guitarist Matt Board. Indeed, it’s probably fair to say their memorable slots at several festivals this summer, whether it be Glastonbury, Deershed, Get Together or countless others, has undoubtedly reaffirmed Pale Blue Eyes as one of the most exciting live bands on the circuit right now. “Psychedelic shoegaze you can dance to!” says one punter in the bar before the show, and they’re not wrong.

Opening with “Takes Me Over”, the lead single from the second record which paves the way for a full-on excursion through This House and its more groove-laden moments. While both “TV Flicker” and “Dr Pong” - the latter now moved to the middle of the set rather than the traditional closer its been on previous tours - provide brief reminders why so many people fell in love with this band in the first instance, tonight is a celebration of This House and everything contained within it. “More” is arguably the poppiest number in Pale Blue Eyes ever-growing canon and its received with expected aplomb this evening. “Simmering” and “Spaces” also demonstrate why they’ve become a leading name on everyone’s “must see” and “must hear” lists while the closing couplet of “Our History” and “Sister” take us into Recurring-era Spacemen 3 territory via the outer reaches of Stereolab and Tortoise respectively.

With this and pretty much every other on this tour sold out in advance, its highly unlikely Pale Blue Eyes will be playing venues of this size next time around. So, catch them while you can as they’re an unmissable force to be reckoned with at present.