Anyway, coming to you live from the pit, support was by Bristol-Chicago duo Prima Queen ahead of the April 2025 release of their debut album, The Prize. The pair gave us a relaxed and fun yet professional set, with the promise of sweet treats and hand-drawn CD covers at the merch table afterwards. Highlights included 'Fool', 'Dylan', and 'Eclipse'.
Opening with ‘The Mad Stone’, Everything Everything proved the Mountainhead tracks are just as energetic live as on record, with a full and immersive genre-defying sound, coupled with a lush melancholy on slower tracks. The languid, dreamlike electro of ‘Enter the Mirror’, and stank-inducing guitar riffs on ‘Wild Guess’ displayed the band’s versatility translated seamlessly to the stage.
One of the most prolific (and prolifically good) experimental rock acts of the 21st century, Everything Everything have an ever-expanding back catalogue to choose from, making the show a thrilling exercise in anticipation. ‘The End of the Contender’ and ‘Metroland is Burning’ displayed the band’s perennial ability to combine shrewd social observation with upbeat synth hooks, animated by frontman Jonathan Higgs’ tireless energy and enthusiasm. ‘Pizza Boy’ from 2022’s Raw Data Feel left me jumping whilst pondering the panopticon of advertising in our everyday lives. I’ll have a Pepsi now, thanks.
Higgs’ massive vocal range is every bit as impressive in person as on record, particularly shining on ‘Can’t Do’ and ‘Canary’, leaving the crowd (read: me) struggling not to completely ruin the videos of everyone within singing distance. An honourable mention goes out to the night’s bassist Nathan, who reportedly stepped in with just two days’ notice to learn the entire setlist after Jeremy Pritchard became ill. Likewise, instrumental moments in the set really shone, free of the constraints of such limiting auditory formats as 24/7 on-demand digital streaming, notably in 2017’s ‘Night of the Long Knives’. They were looking for survivors – and now they’re not. I’m writing from the astral plane having ascended to a synth-induced higher form.
Tying together the album’s pit-digging-slash-mountain-raising theme serendipitously in the encore was Mountainhead's lead single ‘Cold Reactor’, whose pithily catchy chorus, we learnt, makes great live singalong material. Ending with longtime crowd-pleasers ‘Spring / Sun / Winter / Dread’ and ‘No Reptiles’ from 2015’s Get to Heaven left us hoping we wouldn’t be leaving the experience in the distant past. After all, what other gig gives you the opportunity to yell ‘craven baboon’, ‘Rubicon, ‘Triffids’, and ‘Border reiver git’ at great speed? I’ll be swotting up for next time.