The San Diego rock band Pierce The Veil has had British fans in a chokehold all year as they’ve been
teasing their return to touring in the United Kingdom since early 2022. Fans of the group were
especially excited as this was their first time performing in The UK since their last album was
released in 2016.
The UK tour kicked off in Cardiff on the 1st of December and is set to run through the 10th December,
including two nights at the highly revered O2 Forum in London.
Despite the icy weather, fans could still be seen queuing outside of Cardiff University Student’s
Union for hours prior to the doors opening at 7pm. It was clear that despite the band taking six years
away, they were still more adored than ever.
After opening acts Carolesdaughter and Against The Current had set the tone of the night with their
passionate performances, the band kicked off their tour in Cardiff by playing two songs from their
2012 album - Collide With The Sky - titled ‘May These Noises Startle You In Your Sleep’ and ‘Hell
Above’. The audience were quick to start screaming as the members started to appear on stage. It
was easy to see that they were just happy to be back as the audience were to have them.
It was hard to tell that this was the band’s first show in the UK in a long time as their stage presence
was unparalleled. The quartet strutted onto the stage with such confidence and dived right into
performing without skipping a beat.
Any older fans who were looking for their fix of nostalgia were in luck. Songs from the band’s earlier
albums were all performed at the show, each with more energy than the last. Their 2010 song
‘Caraphernelia’ was played towards the end of the set, but the energy from the crowd was still
explosive nonetheless as fans chanted the lyrics to the beloved track in unison. Despite the song
being released roughly 12 years ago, the fans excitement to see the song performed live was
palpable.
In addition to playing some of their quintessential songs such as ‘Bulls In The Bronx’ and ‘Circles’ ,
Cardiff was also given the opportunity to hear Pierce The Veil perform two new songs from their
upcoming album - The Jaws of Life - live for the first time ever. The third song on the set list titled
‘Pass the Nirvana’ was released in August 2022 and was the first song the band has released since
2016. They also played their newest single ‘Emergency Contact’ which was released in November
this year. As a longtime fan, it was incredibly exciting to see the band perform a mixture of both
their older songs as well as their most recent releases as it felt like a reflection of how far they’ve
come as artists. Anyone can see that the band still haven’t lost their touch, even after so many
years.
It was my first time seeing the group live and they all delivered immensely. Fuentes’ vocals exceeded
any expectations I could’ve had from watching their recorded performances online and hearing his
voice paired with such talented musicians Tony Perry, Jamie Preciado and Lionel Robinson made for
an astounding show.
In addition to the amazing performance, the technical aspects of the concert were incredible. A
combination on perfect lighting, smoke machines and confetti raining down on the audience made
for a magical experience. It felt unlike any show I had been to before as I was left praying it wouldn’t
end.
As the concert came to an end the band departed from the stage. However, fans were quick to start
begging for more. While chants for an encore filled the venue, Fuentes was quick to return to the
stage with his acoustic guitar in hand. In contrast to their earlier performances, the singer slowed it
down by playing their song ‘I’m Low On Gas And You Need A Jacket”. This performance evoked an
emotional response from fans as many started singing along and even shedding a tear.
Finally, the group closed the show by playing one of their most popular songs titled ‘King For A Day’.
The audience screamed in anticipation as the first few chords of the song started to play. The song
was the perfect way to end their set as they left the venue on a high note. Throughout the show
Pierce The Veil performed with such high energy and enthusiasm so it made sense that they would
choose such a lively song to end on.
While the hit rock group take the UK by storm it is clear that the best is yet to come as they’re fifth
album -The Jaws Of Life- is set to release on February 10, 2023, once again leaving fans in
anticipation of what’s to come.