The profile of Massachusetts band PVRIS has rocketed at a rapid pace in the last year. Having visited the UK as a support act on their previous visits (their last visit to Cardiff was back in November as support to Bring Me The Horizon), they have now stepped up and taken the headline slot. Not only that, but they have managed to sell out many venues on the tour, including tonight’s at Cardiff. The crowd is jam packed into the University’s Great Hall and by the time the two support acts (Alvarez Kings and K.Flay) are dispatched with, the anticipation levels are sky high. It’s outrageous that we are made to wait 45 minutes for them to hit the stage, but when they do, the crowd goes wild as the band play their opening track ‘Smoke’. This is followed by ‘Mirrors’ and their debut single ‘St. Patrick’.
Frontwoman Lynn Gunn captivates the audience and is ably assisted with strong instrumental backing 
by her band members Alex Babinski on guitar and Brian MacDonald on bass. She frequently tells the fans that she loves them and even addresses some of them personally between songs. Songs are sung back at her with so much gusto, it shows the passion that those assembled have for this band. One moment Lynn’s vocals sound vulnerable and exposed, particularly on ‘Eyelids’ and the stripped back version of ‘Only Love’ that is delivered. Thereafter the latter half of the set contains their more upbeat songs, with highlights including the title track from their debut album ‘White Noise’, along with a mass singalong for ‘You And I’, which is enough to deafen the neighbourhood around the University. Closing their set with ‘My House’, after 45 minutes it’s all over. Having toured with Fall Out Boy and All Time Low, PVRIS look like following the same kind of trajectory as them. Now all they need to do is deliver some new material so that they can come back and play a more substantial set.
splizzmag 