Pond live at the Grove review: raw musical talent

To say I went into this gig blind would be an understatement. In truth, I only drunkenly booked a ticket because Pond was mentioned in passing at a freshers year pres. I arrived at the Grove only really knowing the tracks ‘Toast’ and ‘Paint Me Silver’; two fairly slow, chilled songs. As such, I was expecting a calm night. What I got was a fast-paced, infectiously energetic set with elements of both hard rock and electronic music, passionately performed by a flute-wielding Australian and his band.

The Grove is a small venue with an in-house pizza oven and a Dan Burn mural – hardly fitting for a band with nearly four hundred thousand Spotify monthly listeners and a Glastonbury performance under their belt, or so you’d think. In actuality, The Grove’s stage was perfect for the occasion. The intimate nature of the venue, combined with Declan Mckenna-esque energy and the stage presence of lead singer Nick Allbrook created a close bond between the band and their audience. Pond are an experienced band, with ten albums in their discography, and yet took to the stage with the almost-giddy enthusiasm of a student band playing their first-ever gig. This energy was eagerly reciprocated by the crowd, myself included.

The support act for the evening was Tame Impala drummer Julien Barbagallo and his three-piece. The French band created an incredible sound using only drums, bass, and a synth, and each member’s mastery of their respective instruments allowed for impressive versatility. I was especially impressed by Julien’s ability to perform both lead vocals and drums, as even the idea of the coordination skills required to do this make me dizzy.

Pond opened with their 2019 hit “Daisy”, immediately shattering my expectations. I had heard the track once on Spotify whilst at Doncaster train station of all places, but performed live, this track was on another level. Able to utilise his Fender Telecaster to a much better extent live, lead guitarist Shiny Joe Ryan added a much rockier feel to the band’s sound than I was expecting; both on ‘Daisy’ and on many other tracks. Not afraid to pair their classic hits with newer material, ‘So Lo’ – a track from the band’s newest album – was up soon after, setting the tone for the crowd with its catchy and energetic riff. A highlight for me was the aforementioned track ‘Toast’, a comforting number and another track that takes on a new element when played live.

Finally, not mentioning the ridiculous raw musical talent of every band member would feel wrong. Not only did the drummer and the synth player casually swap places halfway through the set, but lead singer Nick Allbrook also rotated between flutes, guitars, and toy megaphones. This was a band at the pinnacle of their ability playing with full confidence. Firmly out of the shadow of long-time collaborator and former drummer Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), Pond made Newcastle their own, and have gained a lifelong fan in me.