The elusive and mythological British indie band, Panchiko, returned to Boston this past Thursday to another sold-out evening, this time at the Paradise Rock Club. The band is currently on tour to celebrate their first release in over 20 years, Failed at Math(s), joined by LSD & the Search for God and hometown heroes, Horse Jumper of Love.
Panchiko’s history is the subject of many threads, forums and online conversations, due to the fact that they were almost completely forgotten about until the internet worked its magic. An incredibly corrupted copy of the band’s 2000 demo, D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L, was discovered in 2016 in a Nottingham charity music shop and the search began online. None of the band member’s full names were listed, but four years later, lead singer Owain Davies was contacted on Facebook about the band and their cult following. Panchiko reformed in 2020 and reunited to play their first show back in 2021 at the same bar they wrapped up their careers 20 years earlier.
The band opened up with “Stuck,” from their demos collection released after their reformation. Davies starts the song alone, but takes a step back after the crowd nearly overpowers his vocals, letting the venue take over until the ensemble joins in. They take a moment in between to thank the crowd before guitarist Rob Harris fires off the iconic intro to “Stabilisers For Big Boys,” one of the songs that was discovered on their 2000 demo that spurred the initial search for the group. Since reforming, the band has adapted the live version of their earlier songs to a full band accompaniment, which very clearly caught the crowd by surprise as the venue erupts when the drums and distorted bass crash in.
Inspired by names such as Radiohead, Joy Division and the Flaming Lips, the sound of Panchiko is hard to describe without understanding the lore behind their existence. Despite the broad span of their sound, their live performances are thick and full-bodied with three guitarists, multiple keyboards and two microphones for Davies himself – one clean and one distorted. The new and old songs all flow into one another, making it clear that the band may have taken a break, but they never lost their spark. Several songs on their most recent release, like “Until I Know,” are reworked demos that have been given a new life with their revival.
The Failed at Math(s) continued through June 4th, before the band returned home to Nottingham ahead of their EU tour in October.
