Live Review - Pierce The Veil

Live Review – Pierce The Veil | Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom | 10.04.24

With an entire tour sold out across the UK, it seems like Pierce the Veil are living like kings every day. The Jaws of Life tour rolls in to British shores as the band close off what’s been a highly successful run across Europe and the buzz for the tour was hyped to the max even before supports were added, showing why even after more than a decade of taking over sold out rooms, fans will still cram their way into any venue given to them. With the Jaws of Life album being out just over a year and reaching the top 10 in the album charts across Europe, UK & America, it was nice to finally celebrate the release in person at a sold out Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow.

You know the gig is a big deal when the queue is around the entire building, this was the case tonight and in typical Glasgow fashion, the rain wouldn’t take pity on those outside. Regardless of the downpour the hype was still there with what seemed to be a never ending line of fans eager to get into the venue (or out the rain I think it was pretty even).

After getting into the venue via a quick check out of the merch, it was time for the first band of the night and it’s a band we aren’t used to seeing in big venues however it just felt right. Holding Absence are quickly building their own empire and the size of the crowd already in the room proved their ability to pull numbers for a show that wasn’t theirs. Frontman Lucas Woodland stage presence is to be admired, he covers every inch given to him whether it be a small chunk of the stage or the entire space, he just makes it work. Despite the short set, they made it like it was their very own headline show giving the crowd a mix of old and new including the big hitter singles from their recent record ‘The Noble Art of Self Destruction’ including ‘A Crooked Melody’. ‘Aching Longing’ made an appearance that see’s guitarist Scott Carey on screaming duty for the parts of Alpha Wolfs Lochie Keogh, also the song that brings the first circle pit of the night before closing out with the song that raises the volume by some margin in ‘Afterlife’. It was truly a set that shows the heights this band can reach and more. The big stages are ready.

With a high bar to reach, next up we had the pleasure of Dayseeker who more than stepped up to the plate with an explosive performance. ‘Gates of Ivory’ kicked things off with a bang that see’s some very aggressive screams throughout setting the tone for the rest of the set. The vocals of Rory Rodriquez pierced through the ballroom as the crowd were locked in to his every word. Each song came with a different type of heaviness, there’s a great variety to the band and if you’re seeing them for the first time brings a lot of excitement and intensity to what you’re about to see next. Things were eventually slowed down when an incredible acoustic version of ‘Starving to be Empty’ was performed with a guest appearance from Holding Absence’s Lucas – a beautiful piece that had an amazing backdrop of sparkling lights beaming off the ballroom’s disco ball. Another spectacular setting the crowd up for tonight’s headliners.

The gap between Pierce the Veils last Glasgow visit hasn’t been long however given the length of time before, the 2 year wait really didn’t feel so painful. The band have shaped the emo scene for well over a decade and that instantly shows with both old and younger fans crammed under the ballroom roof. The hiatus seemed to benefit the band greatly as they return full of energy and straight from the get go they’re like hyper active teens bouncing around every inch of the stage – ‘Death of an Executioner’ kicks off the night with a deafening sing along from the crowd, something that never really halted the rest of the night. Having the catalogue this band has, choosing as set must come with its challenges however the selection tonight brought the best possible mixture of both old and new giving everyone the best possible PTV live experience – from smoke to confetti, crowd surfers to mosh pits, even a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Karma Police’, it had all you could of hoped for.

The combination of ‘Caraphernalia’ and ‘Bulletproof Love’, mixed in with recent successes ‘Pass the Nirvana’ and ‘Emergency Contact’ brought out the best in the Glasgow crowd, the energy spread throughout the venue was special to witness. Any show in this iconic venue leaves you with a special feeling when you leave and this was no different, every bounce was felt across the spring like floor adding even more to the atmosphere.The classics kept coming with ‘A Match Into Water’ sparking a room sized circle pit that was followed by the band inviting fan on stage for ‘Hold on Till May’, that feeling of giving a fan a moment to remember shows the love the band have for their faithful followers. ‘Hell Above’ & ‘The Jaws of Life’ concludes the part of the show where the band leave before unsurprisingly come back on stage to even louder cheers than they did at the start.

The highly anticipated ‘King For a Day’ brings this incredible night to a close, the crowd giving every last drop of energy they had to see this off in style under the colourful rain fall of black and yellow confetti that surrounded a sea of hands trying to catch every last piece. Pierce the Veil constantly show why they are still one of the most important and relevant bands within the alt scene and tonight’s show saw the band take things to a whole new level. Two nights in the iconic Barrowlands, now even bigger rooms await.