Left my heart in Hackney, down in the Peach Pit

After the release of their LP Being So Normal, the Vancouver-bred indie pop band Peach Pit embarked on a European tour early this year. With several dates around the country, the glitzy nightspot in the heart of Hackney, Moth Club, was their London pit stop of choice. Opening up for them was a three-piece, Blackaby, rumoured to have performed live only once before their appearance as Peach Pit’s supporting act. Fronted by William Blackaby, the band’s haunting, whispery, Elliot Smith-stained sound of their first hit track ‘My Paula’ transfixed the teen crowd and induced a mass hipster head bob across the entire venue. The set continued with ‘Hairstyle’ and ‘Pinky’ (originally titled ‘Punky’, before it was inevitably autocorrected in the lead singer’s phone notes) being the prime crowd-pleasers.

When the opening act came to a close, each of the Peach Pit members filed out in quick succession and began to set up their equipment. A short, profound, silence pervaded the room as vocalist Neil Smith tuned the final string on his guitar before kicking off the show with the album’s opening track ‘Drop the Guillotine’. Written about Smith’s much better looking high school best friend metaphorically slitting his throat with a guillotine when stealing Smith’s crushes, the track is characterised by soft, lazy vocals and intricate guitar licks, creating a timeless retro pop sound with a hint of classic rock. Like ‘Drop the Guillotine’, most tracks on the album revolve around teenage angst, the feeling of which was unintentionally intensified by the 80s prom décor on the Moth Club stage.

The self-titled infamous track ‘Peach Pit’ followed, sending the crowd back into trance which, evidently, only lifted on the journey back home. The chewed bubble-gum pop sound, as the band put it, continued with the lyrically blunt and groovy ‘Techno Show’, Greek imagery infused ‘Alrighty Aphrodite’, mellow ‘Tommy’s Party’ and ‘Private Presley’, after which everyone grew withdrawn and introspective. They closed the show with a rendition of Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode’ to reenergise and pump up the crowd.

The boys were so genuine and down-to-earth, staying back after the show to greet, have a chat and take photos with fans. From a failed attempt at crowd surfing by guitarist Christopher Vanderkooy, to the conversation and kiss I shared with bassist Peter Wilton, I had an unforgettable time and I am excited to follow all that Peach Pit has in store.

5 Stars

Support Artist: Blackaby. Venue: Moth Club. Date: 7th February 2018. Ticket Price: £10.