The Pineapple Thief / SWX / Bristol
A miserable wet night in Bristol, but an exciting one, with a trip to a new venue for us at SWX in Bristol to look forward to, and the visit of progressive rock titans The Pineapple Thief on their “It Leads to This” tour.
First up on stage is singer / songwriter Randy Mcstine. His earlier works released under the name Lo-Fi Resistance, paved the way to collaborations with the likes of Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Joe Satriani and Tears for Fears.
More used to performing with others, either fronting a rock trio by the name of The Fringe, or working with others, having toured with the likes of Porcupine Tree. This is Randy’s first visit to Bristol and only the second show of his first ever UK solo tour.
His work covers a wide range of influences, from Progressive, Rock, Alternative, to more traditional Folk, Pop, and even Ambient. Indeed his opening track utilised the use of a looper to create some delightful ambient sounds over which his incredible vocals glided effortlessly.
Between songs he tells of his first impressions of the city and how while getting lunch he was asked who he was, and amazingly the shop owner had heard of him, having seen him perform with Porcupine Tree ! indeed, re-telling us of his links with them, he described himself to the crowd as simply “yes, that guy”.
Along with the ambient works Randy also plays a couple of acoustic versions of two songs from his works with Marco Minnemann entitled Activate and Big Wave. What impresses most if the clarity and pitch of his vocals. Very impressive.
A really engaging and delightful start to the night.
The stage is set up, the covers removed from the drumkit, and the guitars tuned, and we’re ready for the arrival on stage of The Pineapple Thief.
Formed in 1999 by Yeovil native Bruce Soord, the current line up consists of Bruce Soord (vocals and guitar), Jon Sykes (bass and vocals), Steve Kitch (keyboards), Gavin Harrison (drums) and Beren Matthews (guitar and vocals). The Pineapple Thief released their debut album “Abducting the Unicorn” the same year. They’ve released 16 studio albums, the most recent being 2024’s “It Leads to This”.
The place is packed tonight and they listen quietly as an announcement is made asking not to film the performance as “No one wants to watch the show through your phone” before they erupt in cheers and shouts as the band hit the stage.
Bruce speaks to the crowd and makes reference to his hometown of Yeovil “Lets here it for Yeovil” he shouts and he tells us how great it is to be performing on this tour in Bristol.
The show starts with a great performance of The Frost taken from their latest 2024 album “It Leads to This”. In total there are eight songs from the new album on show tonight. The performance itself is immaculate, from the timing of the drums (would you expect anything different from Gavin Harrison (also of Porcupine Tree), which syncs perfectly with the deep bass tones from Jon. Bruce’s vocals are spot on as always , perched perfectly between the guitar riffs. A track that really stood out for me was Versions of the Truth (title track of the album of the same name from 2020). which was incredible, with its mellow, almost melancholic vibe. Stunning.
Alongside the new material, there are a good mix of the well known earlier material as well, with tracks such as Give It Back and Dead in the Water. As the set draws to a close Fend for Yourself, Rubicon and To Forget are delivered with style, and It Leads to This the title song form the new album has the crowd in awe. The main set ends with The Final Thing on My Mind.
The guys soon return to the stage and we enjoy a two song encore with first up In Exile followed up by show closer Alone at Sea, which is astounding.
As the band wave and leave the stage and the lights go up, I’m left wondering how more people don’t know about bands like The Pineapple Thief. The musical skills and ability are incredible, and the sound……. Just stunning. As with many progressive rock bands, it transports you to another place.
It might be damp and miserable outside, just what’s just been served up tonight in SWX ? Brightens your whole day !
This was the second, of only two UK dates on this tour, but keep those eyes peeled. If you see future shows advertised, don’t miss out !
