Live Review

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – The Arches, Glasgow

• 12th Jun 2011

A large Saturday night crowd enjoyed a night of dance infused indie music featuring a local band and headliners from across the pond. It was a combination that worked very well.

Support came from Glasgow’s Wake The President who played a decent short set to get the night underway. It was a high energy performance from the band, led by twins Erik and Bjorn Sandberg. Overcoming a few early sound problems, the band got stronger as the set progressed. Their music is very much guitar driven, but the keyboards were clearly heard on several tracks. This was the last show with the band for bassist John, who is giving up touring for family life, and this good performance was a fitting way to bow out.

The appeal of New York City’s The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart appears to be wide, judging by the varied audience the band attracted: from teenagers to the more mature music lover, and with many who wouldn’t look out of place in Brooklyn’s hipster scene.

The Pains have a big sound, and gave a powerful performance that crackled with energy and life. There was little talk as they raced through an hour long set at an unrelenting pace. Each song commenced with the meaty twin guitar sound that typifies their indie-pop approach, but more subtle melodies appeared, raising them above many similar bands. Peggy Wang’s keyboards featured strongly in the mix and guitarist Christoph Hocheim added some fine lead work.

Kip Berman on lead vocals has a strong voice that portrays the emotion of the lyrics well, and he is ably backed by Wang’s harmonies which contrast nicely. Much of the set came from most recent album Belong, with the title track and Heart In Your Heartbreak being the highlights.

But there were older tracks too, which had many in the crowd dancing along. Young Adult Fiction was, as always, a fan favourite while the closing This Love is Fucking Right ended the main set in fine fashion. The band returned for a one song encore before leaving the stage for the final time.

My one complaint about the night was the blinding light show, which had many in the audience looking away at times. But that can’t be levelled at the band, who showed that their combination of fine songs and excellent live performance can take them far.