Wednesday 20 November 2013

Live Review : Pilgrim, The Star & Garter, Manchester, UK, 5/11/2013

When Windhand played Manchester, their second ever UK show earlier in the month, things didn't go quite as smoothly as everyone involved would have liked. With guitarist Asechiah Bogdan hospitalized in Chester, the band were late arriving, tour managers were running around chaotically and set times were pushed further and further back.

For Rhode Island’s retro sounding doom act Pilgrim, the main support band that have been traversing the UK and Europe with Windhand, the chaos inflicted upon them too. However, their late starting set saw them play in front of a packed crowd who were yearning for some live music. The band's 'tune low and play slow' policy, one which is shared by Windhand, is well received with each song climaxing to the sound of cheers and applause from front to back.

Despite battling with sound issues and the fact that the Star & Garter doesn't have the kindest of acoustic aesthetics, they produce a barrage of sludgy noise and screeching feedback. This is a band whose live shows convey a true taste of what a gig this size should be like; warts n’ all. They have yet to iron the creases out of their sets, yet to polish off rusty mistakes and yet to really master any real sense of stage presence, but those imperfections only make for better viewing. We are seeing a Frankenstinian beast in the making; slowly bits and pieces, the best of all their influences and loves join together in a cohesive manner. I have a feeling however, that on a thundering night in the future this beast will truly come alive. 

Words by : Phil Weller

You can read Phil’s live review of Windhand here, whom Pilgrim were the main support for at this gig

For more information

https://www.facebook.com/hailthepilgrim
http://hailthepilgrim.bigcartel.com/