Pvris @ The Institute, 9th April 2016
For Pvris to only just be embarking on their first UK headline run seems bizarre, seeing as their debut record ‘White Noise’ dropped towards the end of 2014, however it’s that scenario that we are greeted with tonight. It’s that very fact I believe that aids tonight’s performance immensely.
Formed in 2012, Pvris are a electro-pop rock outfit currently signed to Rise Records and fronted by Lynn Gunn. Releasing their debut album in 2014, the band have gone from strength both in this country and around the globe, recently supporting Fall Out Boy at Madison Square Garden. And from tonight’s performance it’s clear that arenas are where this band has their sights firmly set.
Gracing the stage with a production fit for venues much bigger than the Institute, tonight sees the stage adorned with cemetery type gates acting as lighting rigs, whilst the ‘White Noise’ artwork acts as a projection screen that changes according the song and the mood.
Opening with ‘Smoke’ and ‘Mirrors’ the bands set is made up of material from their debut album as well as newer track ‘You & I’ which was included in the albums re-release. Tracks such as ‘St Patrick’, ‘My House’ and ‘Let Me In’ do well to get the crowd moving whilst slower numbers such as ‘Eyelids’ and ‘Ghosts’ highlight Lynn’s flawless vocal abilities, flicking from growling to angelic without a seconds notice in a genre that often doesn’t cut it live.
And it’s that very fact that make s Pvris stand out from the crowd. For all your Paramores and All Time Lows there are plenty of low level bands within the alternative circuit who never break through and reach their potential. However it’s clear that Pvris are striving for the highest heights and if tonight acts as a glimpse of where Pvris could reach on their next album cycle then it’s clearly an exciting time to be a Pvris fan.
Review: Dan Earl
Photographs: Andy Watson