PVT: Fri, March 22 @ The Zoo, Brisbane

Words by Scenewave Australia - Published on April 8, 2013

PVT returned to Brisbane for the first time since 2010 for their Australian Homosapien tour, and after reviewing their fourth studio album and interviewing percussionist Laurence Pike, from what I gathered I was pretty sure I was in for a good night. The night at the Zoo kicked off with local producer Elroy 4.0 chilling things out, the highlight being a pretty sweet remix of Rhye’s “Open”. The crowd all seemed to be what you’d expect at any show at the Zoo, a mostly youthful group with a few smatterings of older fellows looking for some good beats.

Next up were hot pants-clad Collarbones, warming up with a yoga routine before launching into a set you could only describe as charismatic, before jumping down into the crowd to dance to their own music. I was surprised at the sparsely populated crowd waiting for PVT to grace the stage, and it was a bit of a shame, because when they did, they absolutely fucking killed it.

Fittingly opening with the first track off their new album, “Shiver”, PVT managed to put a few shivers (forgive the cheesiness) through the crowd themselves. They soon moved on to a heavier tone with “Evolution”, before delighting fans with a banging version of “Light Up Bright Fires” from third album Church With No Magic. Richard Pike had a massive stage presence, showing no signs of hesitance moving into his new front man role. Next up came two new ones from album Homosapien, “Electric”, “Vertigo”, followed by “Church With No Magic”, with producer Dave Miller keeping everyone entertained with his new wave dance moves.

Subsequently came “Didn’t I Furious”, a song I hadn’t paid much attention to before, but Richard’s treatment of the amazing guitar riff meant I wouldn’t forget it. After another few songs from Homosapien, including personal favourite “Cold Romance”, they really got into the business end of things.

I was amazed by the sheer energy they put into their shows. The first time I ever heard PVT, for some reason I imagined them as a couple of guys who would get up on stage and rattle off their songs in a mellow, sort of laid back electronica manner. As I listened to more and more of their stuff and watched some videos of live performances over the years, my view of them moulded into something more visceral, but nothing could have prepared me for the blast coming off the stage, along with the mesmerizing light show. There were times when the strobes were kicking in and they were killing it up on stage and it felt like I didn’t know where I was or what was happening, but I was enjoying it.

This sort of atmosphere was embodied in the last three songs, including the two encores, that together gave me one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at a gig. As soon as the crowd heard the opening two notes of “O Soundtrack My Heart”, they knew what they were in for. If you’re a fan of PVT and haven’t listened to it before, do it. They followed this up with a stunning version of the eponymous track from their newest album, and finished with “Window”, the first song I ever heard of theirs and still my favourite.

They’re the type of band that even if you know none of their songs, you’ll have a great time just because of their skill as musicians and performers. Hopefully these guys will be around for years to come, and if they do come back to tour, they are a must see.

Setlist:

Shiver

Evolution

Light Up Bright Fires

Electric

Vertigo

Church with No Magic

Didn’t I Furious

Cold Romance

Love and Defeat

Nightfall

O Soundtrack my heart

Encore:

Homosapien

Window