Live Review: Pendulum - Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
28th March 2024
Support: Scarlxrd
Words: Matt Noble
Photos: Tim Finch
I was slightly too young to be regularly going to gigs when Pendulum first announced they'd be taking time away from touring in the early 2010s. I did wonder if I'd get the chance after Knife Party started to take off - initially the side project of two of Pendulum's members. Band hiatuses, I'd come to learn, don't always last forever. They're very much alive and kicking at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, the venue packed out and showing how important they still are to so many. There's a real mix of alternative subcultures brought together, proof of how widely beloved Pendulum are.
Main support DJ Scarlxrd warms up tonight's crowd nicely with a darker take on EDM. An energetic MC, he jumps around relentlessly for the whole set, hyping up the audience and clearly thrilled to be on the gig. In return, his crowd dance and rave about, with a particularly lively front and centre section feeding back his own energy to him. The intense light show and metallic vocal screams makes for a hell of an experience. He's usually backed by cold, distorted trap beats, but uses a variety of EDM beats in his set - sometimes even bordering on electronic-tinged metalcore or nu-metal. Though there's plenty going on, Scarlxrd's short, snappy bangers are always bouncy, heavy and screamy, and the crowd are well into it.
A HUGE cheer erupts as the lights are hit and the intro tape plays for Pendulum. The groovy, nu-metal tinged 'Napalm' opens the set, driving the entire arena from front to back instantly into dance mode. It's the moment so many have been waiting for. By the time the first megahit of the night comes on in the form of 'Propane Nightmares', the audience virtually threaten the arena's foundations, such is the response. Its slightly Western-tinged live intro fools most before the first vocal drop, but sees a few mosh pits and crowd surfers by the time it's kicked in.
The bouncy, industrial 'Come Alive' follows, keeping up the momentum before a euphoric 'Blood Sugar' turns the floor into pure mayhem. With crowd participation seeing Rob Swire lead the crowd to their knees before one of the drops, it segues effortlessly into Chase & Status' 'Baddadan' and Pendulum's remix of The Prodigy classic 'Voodoo People' to really create something memorable, sending everyone nuts in the process.
It's a seriously impressive show from Pendulum. They make use of the full capabilities that come with an arena tour, with hypnotic visuals on the screens and an impressive, immersive light show. Pendulum have always stood out as having the live band feel of a drum-and-bass rave, but it has to be seen to be believed. It gives a raw, honest energy to the performance, while there is enough of a metronomic, electronic quality to the rest of the music to keep the floor firmly locked in and dancing for the full hour and a half.
Towards the second half of the set, 'Mercy Killing' (with a live guest appearance from Scarlxrd), 'Witchcraft' and the iconic 'Tarantula' are amongst the most standout highlights that earn the strongest crowd responses, the latter bringing the energy to a new peak amid huge singalongs. The unique metallic grind of 'Self vs Self' (originally featuring In Flames) goes off well, and their encore of 'Tempest' sees a beautiful sea of phone torches for one last moment of abandon from the audience. The kings of live drum-and-bass prove time and time again why they boast such a huge following, with genre mashing, catchy dance beats, and incredible performances like tonight.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
