The Pigeon Detectives: Not Giving Up

The Pigeon Detectives - Leeds Wardrobe 6 October 2016
The Pigeons are back, lost shoes, busted elbows, concussion, all in check, clutching a handful of new songs, a couple of which you just know if they were badged by someone trendy would be a hit. That’s the shit that is the UK music biz at the mo.

First up a word or two for fellow LS26ers Fighting Caravans who, mid their own tour were supporting. A landscape of psycho-blues delivered with a Yorkshire / Texan drawl, pitching for Tarantino soundtracks and a HUGE sound. Big guitars, manic stares and audience intimidation is all in a nights work. Impressive and one to see again.

For the Pigeons, tonight sold out gig shows, in its audience make up that there is hope yet for the UK guitar / indie scene. Many in the audience would still have been in junior school when these Rothwell lads took their first faltering steps. The more people exposed to real blood and thunder sweaty gigs like this, the more they will realise what a real gig is – sorry its turning into an anti X Factor rant..

Tales from this tour tell of riotous behaviour, mutual admiration and stage invasions and Leeds was no different, alleging ramping it up just a tad further. All the hits, count em, were there, Animal still has the potential to be my total fave, the live version does lose some of the style and nuance of the recording but it’s still a gem. Matt throwing himself, literally, across the stage like he is performing Romantic Type for this first time. Despite it not being the first time for him, nor most of the audience, the excitement , thrill and buy in is palpable. This is a lesson in how to engage with your fans, as Matt said shortly before ushering everyone on stage, “we put our bodies on the line, every gig”.

A bigger tour is on sale now and will probably see a couple more of the new songs in the set. At first hearing it’s a new direction but with more than a hint of classic Pigeon, there’s nothing that’s out of place here but one or two songs are slightly more melodic, slightly more chilled. There is one in particular, it wasn’t namechecked unfortunately but I am convinced if this was sent to radio as an old school ‘white label’ with a ‘suggestion’ that it was James Arthurs comeback single it would get played. Its more than good enough but I suspect the Pigeons will get nowhere near mainstream with this, so live is the only route. On the evidence of tonight nobody is giving up on this band for the foreseeable future and rightly so.