Having sold out the Camden Assembly last October, Manchester’s Pastel were back in the capital to play to a packed crowd at The Garage.
Image Credit: Matthew Eynon. Courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island.
At the Assembly (Barfly), their latest single, ‘Your Day’, whilst good, was jarring. Its urgency countered their more blissed-out fan favourites. To great effect, this purposeful spirit was doubled down on at the garage—the former single opened proceedings with an aggressive front-foot mindset, which they rarely deviated from.
With the intensity levels pulsating, the latest single, ‘Dancing On A Pin, ‘S.O.H.O,’ and previously unheard tracks fired out quickly. Breath only was taken when frontman Jack Yates asked us “to fund his haircut.” It was a masterclass in substance over style, allowing little time to comprehend what was happening—dizzying, mystical genius!
As the band led the room to the precipice, the release of ‘Isaiah’ was a divine moment, but it was ‘Deeper Than Holy’ that truly ignited the crowd. The song, previously well-received at Islington Town Hall and the Camden Assembly, took on a new life on this night, transcending the stage. The crowd arms aloft and wide, bellowed for it with an unhinged willingness to prove what it meant. Powerful, soul-freeing energy was released into a psychedelic haze of smoke and red lights as the band, and fans became unified in their shared experience.
Pastel have now crossed over. The world is theirs. Their howling guitars the warning sirens for the world, get your shit together; systemic cultural change is nigh!