As PINS make their triumphant return to The Bodega, after 10 years away, LeftLion's Kieran Lister immerses himself in their wondrous songs again, and reflects on how much can change in a decade - and how much stays reassuringly the same...
A lot can happen in 10 years. Depending on your outlook, a decade can flash by in an instant or seem like forever. It can take you from naivety to maturity, from a university degree to a career, from teenage sweethearts to marriage.
A lot has happened in the last ten years. 2015 saw us pre-Brexit, pre-Covid and pre-Trump 1.0. Bowie was still here. The world felt like a fundamentally different place; not yet buffeted by those seismic events and (mostly) without the pervading sense of chaos, uncertainty and instability we enjoy in society today.
The music industry has also continued to transform, both in ways that are undeniably positive and otherwise. Small venues are struggling, vinyl is resurgent, streaming is dominant. It’s a rollercoaster for artists trying to find their way and follow their passion and decreasingly lucrative to tour. One of the most heartening changes however, has been the steady erosion of music as a purely male-dominated industry. It’s still far from equal in many aspects, but even in the last decade the needle has swung reassuringly toward wider representation in bands.
I first saw PINS in 2012, in what feels like a past life. They played a venue in their native Manchester called The Bunker; a bleakly industrial space where the stage sat within a wooden cage in the centre of the room. They shared that stage with Savages that evening, in a showcase of primal post-punk power and grit. PINS themselves were like a bomb, exploding into the scene with imperious, white hot cool.
That was still a time when an all-female line-up of bands felt like an aberration. Happily, the musical climate has changed and tonight’s run of three female-fronted bands feels more like the welcome norm. The beautifully named Push Rope are up first at The Bodega, making a fun first impression.
A relatively new band, they prove adept at compositional flow and their willingness to let their indie-pop tinted songs float into extended jams, with swirling squalls of guitar and hectic drums, is commendable.
Airport Dad follow, bringing wit - “Get out of my head, because it’s a f-in mess” - and smartly concocted rock songs that nod towards shoegaze. Their set ends with a wholesome capo mix-up and their guitarist writhing on the floor playing with his teeth, which helps fuel the energy levels for the main act.
And what a main act they are. Exuding the kind of ease that comes with experience and clad all in black, PINS may have been away for a few years but they look utterly comfortable onstage. Here to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their breakthrough album Wild Nights, they exclude ado and jump straight into the opener Baby Bhangs.
What’s immediately obvious is that this is a well-oiled machine of a band who’ve rehearsed the hell out of their material. The rhythm section is unflappable all set, with Kyoko Swan’s bass in particular providing the surest of foundations. The opening track itself is a concentrated dose of retro-tinged rock, with Faith Vern’s languorous vocal leading a call and response chorus. It’s a jolt to the crowd and works perfectly as a portent of what’s to come.
Through Young Girls and Curse These Dreams, that transportive effect only increases. The songs are a decade old, but they could have been recorded at any time in the last sixty years. ‘What will we do when our dreams come true?’ Vern sings, her lyric deftly encapsulating the timeless feelings of both uncertainty and underlying stubborn confidence of the young and idealistic.
If Faith Vern is the picture of nonchalant coolness at the mic, then Lois McDonald is the opposite. An unstoppable dynamo of energy throughout, she jumps, bops, sings and grins her way through the entire set. It’s so much fun to watch someone who so clearly loves their craft, and that mood is utterly infectious as she sends choppy 60s-inspired guitar lines into the crowd on the catchy surfer number Dazed by You.
What is obvious about Wild Nights all these years later is how intelligently it’s composed as an album. There’s barely an ounce of fat across the entire LP; every chord, every drum fill and every reverb soaked yelp sounds thoughtfully placed to fulfil a specific role. That craftsmanship and care is communicated live here, too.
A later highlight is a cheeky nod to so many people’s best friends in Molly, while the sneering snark of Serve the Rich sounds, if anything, even more relevant and pithy now than it did back in 2015.
The set ends with Girls Like Us, taken from 2013's album of the same name. Beforehand, Vern invites the women in the crowd onto the stage. This warm gesture is a fine example of how live music can and should be an inclusive space where everyone is vital.
Sadly, the drunken man who stumbles onto the stage, kicks his beer over the band’s guitar pedals and almost falls backward into the drum kit somewhat undermines the heartening moment. I mean, come on, men. We can do better. That Vern brushes this off with a casual "Does this man belong to anyone?" is a sign that her coolness isn’t limited to the music.
The times may change, then, but cool is forever.
PINS performed at The Bodega on 21st September 2025, with support from Push Rope and Airport Dad.
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