The vibes are good on a balmy evening at Dublin’s best outdoor concert venue. It’s a predominantly middle-aged audience that have gathered to witness the return of 90s indie rock kingpins Pixies. That said, the younger generation are also well represented; there are even some families with young children dotted amongst the audience. Every show I have attended at the Iveagh Gardens has been top class – as a city centre venue, it is easy to get to, onsite facilities are good, there are no lengthy queues for the bar & the sound is usually excellent. Pixies take the stage with little or no fanfare at close to 8.30pm; there is no build-up, no pomp & ceremony – they amble on, strap on their instruments, and away we go. What follows is a breathless, rollercoaster ride of 39 songs spanning their complete back catalogue in just over two hours; there is no between-song banter, no patronising platitudes – it is all about the music. ‘Cactus’ is a somewhat unusual opener but by the time we get to song three,  the crowd pleaser that is ‘Here Comes Your Man’, Black Francis & his gang have the crowd eating out of their hands. It is difficult to pick out highlights – they give the crowd exactly what they want and then some; signature tunes like ‘Debaser’, ‘Gigantic’ & ‘Wave of Mutilation’ blend seamlessly with new material (Human Crime, There’s A Moon On) cover versions, (Winterlong, Head On) and some of their earliest recorded works (Caribou, Nimrod’s Son). I know a lot of early Pixies fans fell out of love with the band when Kim Deal left. It has to be said, Paz Lenchantin is a very able replacement, handling vocal and bass duties with aplomb. Joey...

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