Pip Blom, PREGOBLIN @ O2 Academy, Leicester, UK, 17 February 2024

Pip Blom, PREGOBLIN

Pip Blom, PREGOBLIN @ O2 Academy, Leicester, UK, 17 February 2024,

February 24, 2024
By Dom Gourlay

Web Exclusive

There is a lot of focus on the UK live music industry which is in decline at the moment. Whether it's rising costs and poor ticket sales that are forcing many festivals to cancel or run for a year, or a growing number of independent venues being forced to close their doors for good (Such as The Chameleon Arts Cafe in my hometown) it's probably fair to say that live music is on its knees right now. This means that those less affected, such as the national Academy chain, can prosper and sometimes behave in a way that suits them at the expense of building any relationship with prospective clients. So when yours truly is escorted out of the venue fifteen minutes after entering because someone's bag is obviously too big and presented with a tape measure to confirm they're in breach of the venue's policy of banning anything larger than A4, it's not just a little irritant. It is an unnecessary violation of freedoms. A ridiculous rule exercised by a venue with no logic or feasible logic covered any health and safety legislation. After protesting with security for several minutes before she was finally allowed back in – under escort – on the condition that said bag be left behind the merchandise desk and not picked up before the last song of the night “or else” – spawn the question. Where do these people understand with such irrational behavior? Fortunately, it didn't spoil the night or the show, but it left an unpleasant aftertaste and will make this writer wonder if they'll ever cover another show at this venue.

Anyway, on with the show. This time next week, PREGOBLIN will have released their long-awaited debut album PREGOBLIN II. Not only was it worth the very long wait, it's arguably one of the best debuts to come out this year and already an early contender for the best album of 2024. It's also a record that brings together the many elements of PREGOBLIN's soul. Essentially the brainchild of Alex Sibley, who takes over lead vocal duties tonight. It is supported by three musicians including the rhythm section of Fat White Family, Adam Brennan (bass) and Samuel Toms (drums). Tonight's set focuses on PREGOBLIN's wild, guitar driven side. Songs like “Roma” and “Sort It Out Down There” were made for intimate settings like this, while “Big Hitters” strikes a chord with everyone and everything in the dimly lit confines of the Academy. One of their early compositions, 'Love Letters' is a welcome addition early on in the set, as is former single 'Snakes & Oranges' which is the penultimate number before 'These Hands', last year's collaboration with Pete Doherty (the Libertine isn't performing tonight) brings the set to a close. While their more electronic compositions are noticeably absent from tonight's set, that doesn't detract from Sebley and PREGOBLIN's performance which is sure to have won them a bunch of new fans here.

This tour also represents a brand new approach for tonight's headliners. The last time he saw Under the Radar Kukutsi Bloom – almost a year to the day at Leiden's Peel Slowly And See festival – was a very different entity to the one standing before us tonight. Then a four-piece indie rock band by definition, drummer Ginny Cameron has since left Pip Blom to have a baby, so the band has incorporated a more electronic approach that owes as much to The Human League or LCD Soundsystem as it does to its earlier form. . Last year's third album Bobby hinted at a change in direction, and it's probably fair to say the new songs favor that setup. It's well known that eleven of Bobbie's twelve tracks feature prominently in the setlist, and judging by the reaction up front as well as the energy on stage, the new, dancefloor-friendly Pip Blom is a smash hit that's sure to be a sure hit at that. summer festivals.

Kicking off with the treble of 'Red', 'I Can Be Your Man' and '7 Weeks', Pip Blom sets the stage wonderfully for the next hour of (mostly) high-energy action that follows. New 'Not Tonight' gets its own intro before some of the band's previous singles 'Keep It Together' and 'Daddy Issues' provide a timely reminder of why everyone in attendance was drawn to Pip Blom in the first place. Indeed, it's this tendency to switch styles at the drop of a hat that keeps both band and audience on their toes – literally – and creates a subtle fusion of genres to suit all occasions.

“Brand New Car”, “Fantasies” and “Where Did You Get My Number?” bring the first set to a heady finish, while the encore's mix of new and old material finds two of their older compositions 'Come Home' and 'Babies Are A Lie' sandwiched between two of their more recent 'Tiger' and 'Get Back “. providing an exquisite finale that ensures even the most torrential downpours cannot dampen spirits on the way home.