PVRIS – MANCHESTER ACADEMY – 22/01/23
April 14th 2015, a shy and timid PVRIS took the stage of Manchester Academy 2 in support of Lower Than Atlantis opening the show for their first ever UK tour and show in Manchester. The energy from both PVRIS and the crowd for a support slot was huge and it really showed such excitement and promise for an up-and-coming band. From there PVRIS rocketed into the stratosphere with multiple albums, festival performances and huge UK headline shows.
Since then, there has been a shift in dynamic with PVRIS and their music after the release of 2020’s album ‘Use Me’ which set up an exciting new chapter for Lynn Gunn and co. only to be stumped with a reluctant decision to delay their European shows due to multiple obstacles and setbacks brought on from the pandemic along with being placed in limbo by the old label.
Fast forward to Jan 22nd 2023, PVRIS are finally back in Manchester again set to play the Academy, this time for their first show of the year (and since Oct 22), and there is a huge buzz of excitement throughout the venue as the crowd eagerly await in anticipation of their chance to hear a set of both recent music from ‘Use Me’ and some brand new tracks which have surfaced in the recent months.
A dark back-lit stage glows with silhouettes of foliage and structures as Lynn Gunn and her band take to the stage and kick off the show with great intent with the ‘Animal’ with its huge chorus and gritty bass vibrating through the venue, before sweeping us straight into ‘Monster’ as Lynn Gunn works her way around the stage leaving no space uncovered. You get the sense PVRIS have been as excited to get back to the live shows as the crowd have been for their return, and there is no hint of rustiness in their first show in months. Lynn’s vocals sound brilliant, and the band are as tight as ever as they tear through the 16 track setlist for the Manchester crowd.
The set is built of more of PVRIS’s newer material from recent singles and their ‘Use Me’ album, however there is still a sprinkle of their old selves in the form of ‘Mirrors’, ‘What’s Wrong’, ‘You and I’, and the furious ‘Fire’ from their first two full lengths.
It’s the newer material that takes the spotlight however, with ‘Gimme a Minute’ and ‘Death of Me’ providing two of the set’s highlights, among a live debut of the chilling ‘Anywhere but Here’ which calms the show down for a special moment.
An anticipated encore provides an opportunity for a second live debut, and actually a first ever listen to a brand-new track ‘Goddess’ which sounds incredible. It’s funky gritty bassline and drums drive Lynn through the track to a huge hook of a chorus, and it’s clear this is going to be a fan favourite on release. “It’s a celebration of femininity, all shapes and forms, and a cathartic, guttural scream at the same time” the frontwoman describes.
Closing out the set in a high, PVRIS pull out the old ammunition with ‘My House’ enabling the crowd to get involved singing back the lyrics, before finally ending the show perfectly with ‘Hallucinations’ which sounds fantastic live.
This show marks the return of PVRIS in an exciting new chapter, and what was on show provides as much promise as they did over the road at Academy 2 all those years ago. With the addition of Slam Dunk Festival in the summer, expect much more from PVRIS as they dominate the alternative music scene through 2023.
Check out the full set of live photos from this show here!
(PLEASE DO NOT CROP OR EDIT PHOTOS)
Photo Credit: © Danny Peart Photography 2023
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