Gig review: The Pigeon Detectives at The Wardrobe, Leeds

There was never much doubt that the Pigeon Detectives would go down a storm in their home city of Leeds.
The Pigeon DetectivesThe Pigeon Detectives
The Pigeon Detectives

Playing in the intimate surrounds of the basement of The Wardrobe, the Rothwell lads served up a stunning performance which left their adoring fans longing for more.

The Pigeons are very much a product of their time, their time being that early 2000s wave of British Indie that included the Libertines, the Arctic Monkeys and the Cribs.

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They have enjoyed relative success with platinum certifications and major festival slots, but have been very quiet since the release of their 2013 album We Met at Sea.

In many ways, this tour is a comeback for them, a chance to prove that they are still relevant, and to build up hype for their upcoming LP.

Opening with Emergency, the band blitz through an hour-long set list that covers all their major hits, such as I Found Out, Everybody Wants Me and I’m Not Sorry.

They find time for the debut of their new single Lose Control, taken from the band’s fifth album, which is planned for released in February 2017 and is a more eclectic LP than previous albums.

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It was recorded with Richard Formby, a producer associated with bands like indie crooners Wild Beasts, leftfield London vocalist Ghostpoet and mind-expanding synth pioneers Spaceman 3.

Frontman Matt Bowman fizzes with energy from start to finish and has no problems whipping up the sell-out crowd.

The audience reacting to every song with manic fervour, frequently threatening to rush the stage, which in the end they do.

Around a dozen fans joined Bowman and his pals on stage at the end but the security seemed happy to stand back and let it unfold.

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There seems to be genuine affection for the audience, like the band are genuinely delighted to just be playing to an enthusiastic crowd again.

On this evidence, the Pigeon Detectives should be around for some time yet – and how we should all raise a glass to that.