Live Review | Xiu Xiu @ Strange Brew, Bristol

Xiu Xiu

13th November 2024

Photography by Kazuo Chaed (@lightherfluid)

George Ward

Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street.

Experimental legends Xiu Xiu took to Bristol’s Strange Brew to showcase their new album and demonstrate just how wide their range is

When I arrived at Strange Brew to see Xiu Xiu, I was a little scared. As a casual fan of their music, I had listened to their iconic albums before, from 2002’s ‘A Promise’ to the haunting ‘Girl With A Basket Of Fruit’ to their gorgeous rendition of the music of Twin Peaks. In my mind, their music was difficult music – enjoyable and fascinating, but difficult nonetheless. But, while so much of their oddness still shone through, the biggest surprise of the night was just how refreshing Xiu Xiu are live.

Perhaps their most recent album ’13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto With Bison Horn Grips‘ is the perfect embodiment of this combination. The album takes the harsh experimentation that Xiu Xiu are known and loved for, and combines it with more pop and psychedelic rock sensibilities. Because the rawness and creativity still underlies this, the album works beautifully, both as a jumping-in point for new fans and as a breath of fresh air for long time listeners.

While a large chunk of their set was taken up with this new project, fans were given a taste of everything, with a broad selection handpicked from their vast discography. The band opened with the insanely sinister and squelchy synth monster ‘The Silver Platter,’ reassuring Xiu Xiu purists that they still have a whole lot of weird shit inside them.

Unsurprisingly, frontman Jamie Stewart was unbelievable. As a vocalist, he has a reputation for being one of the most unique around; his wails, laments and yells are haunting, terrifying and, quite often, beautiful. On ‘Arp Omni,’ his vocals are so delicate and so frail as he forces out the devastating lyrics “I have done almost nothing right, my entire adult life”. His vocals may be easily mimicked, but nobody can deliver his lyrics with as much emotional weight.

We are plunged fully into the darkness with ‘It Comes Out As A Joke’ and eased/uneased in equal measure by the classic ‘Sad Pony Guerilla Girl’. Angela Seo and David Kendrick were, of course, equally fantastic, bringing Stewart’s creatures to life with their own experimentations and full body committal to the vision.

It was on one of the final tracks, ‘Common Loom,’ where Xiu Xiu’s sound was fully unleashed. It is a complete banger on the album and live, it is brought to full bright and cathartic life. As the band thrash through the track, making the most of all the glorious and nostalgic chord changes, Stewart sings into the crowd like an indie frontman, performing with as much energy and dedication as any stadium-selling rock band.

Xiu Xiu’s set, and their music in general, is very hard to put into words. If you are to take one thing away from this review, it should be a recommendation to just give them a go yourself. Don’t be put off by you presumptions. Their live set is a huge, risky and incredibly interesting blend of experimentation and accessibility; their darkest moments plunge you even deeper live while their uplifting ones raise you even higher.