Written By Chloe Diehl
Credit: Photographs Taken by FionaFury
This past Friday, I attended Panchiko’s concert at White Oak Music Hall’s lawn venue along with my two good friends and former KTRU colleagues, Imogen Brown (Station Manager 24-25) and Amy Lam (Creative Director 23-25). The moment we stepped foot into the venue, we quickly noticed the sea of alternative teenagers, chanting out “I love you, Panchiko!” every 15 seconds as they impatiently waited for the main act. However, what was funny about the crowd was their stillness during the performance. Rather than naturally letting loose to the songs and singing along, the whole audience kept quiet and held their phones out to record every last second. Imogen, Amy, and I all felt like aliens, as we were the only three people in the crowd not on our phones, dancing and headbanging to the main set. It was truly ironic that the crowd, who were chanting their love for the band, would be more still than a terracotta soldier, instead of responding with even a sway to the beat like a normal human being.
Imogen perfectly described the crowd as a “stationary Gen Z epidemic,” which is totally bars, in my opinion. Everyone on the lawn was focused on the camera, capturing every moment, cramping the whole vibe. Throughout the concert, I could tell the band was having a hard time reading cues from the crowd because the crowd was still. It led me to so many questions. The biggest one being: “Does the audience truly care about the band or do they want to be perceived as having a certain music taste?” All the audience cared about was that their social media feed was getting the content rather than having the experience to themselves. The intention to go to this concert felt completely different from Imogen, Amy, and I. After reflecting on the comment Imogen made and the takeaway question I was left with, it makes total sense why artists are now pushing out no-phone concerts. Artists crave a clearer response from the crowd from a head nod to a sing-a-long. They also want to play music that resonates more deeply with the audience.
While the crowd felt stiff and performative in the cringiest way possible, this didn’t stop the three of us from really enjoying Panchiko’s main act. I also am quite the Panchiko fan, making it a little bit easier for me to blur out the crowd from giving myself. The band opened with an incredibly cool shred mixed with strong drudge with the addictive gritty textural sound Panchiko is famous for. Owain Davies’s voice also scratched part of my brain I didn’t even think existed. His voice was almost reminiscent of Muse’s lead singer Matt Bellamy back in his prime. They were similar in the way they have these impressively powerful belts that would highlight their vocal range, I am not just saying that because they are both British.
The instrumentals were also not something to ignore. Their intricate use of synthesizers and keyboards made their songs feel like I was levitating. It felt space-like and ethereal. This was perfectly balanced with the sexy grunge guitar riffs.
Overall, Panchiko is a force to be reckoned with. Despite this once-early-2000’s teenage garage band being discovered well after their youth, the band stays true to their original sound. We see this best when the band plays a newly unreleased song right after their 1997 demos.
In the middle of the set, they play “Untitled Demo 1997”. The acoustic guitar intro eases you into the sweet melodic verse “I’ve been waiting all this night for a touch, it isn’t that much.” As a hopeless romantic and a D1 yearner, this line pulled on my heartstrings like no other and moved me to tears. I was transported to a swing in the middle of some highland meadow, going back and forth, looking out in the distance, hoping for my prince charming to come for me.
The new unreleased song, while more upbeat than most, didn’t stray from Panchiko’s brand. Davies starts out the song in an army-like chant, increasing the energy of the concert. While the song was a total mood shift from the demos they played, they somehow incorporated their classic sexy lead guitar licks backed by these futuristic synths.
Aside from the music, the bandmates were all incredibly sweet and responsive to the fans in the crowd, responding back to the cries with “I love you too, babes!” and jokingly calling the band “silly sausages.” They gave off dorky dad vibes in the best way possible. They were also probably more responsive and energetic because this was the biggest gig the band has ever done and they were riding on that high that they sold out a show on White Oak Music Hall’s lawn venue. Which yes… if I were in that position, I would be equally as happy and charismatic. Maybe not to the extent of calling my audience silly sausages though.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Panchiko’s concert. While the fans were a little obnoxious with their phone recordings, it didn’t stop me from enjoying their live set. After seeing their wittiness with the crowd, the chemistry among the band mates, and each of the member’s their skillful artistry, I definitely think that they deserved to have a sold out concert. I’m looking forward to seeing them come by again!