LIVE FROM THE PIT: Grandson and Pinkshift

Alt-rock artist GRANDSON hit Manchester Academy on Thursday evening with two clear agendas – to make the room tremble from the sheer volume of the bass, and to unify the crowd in channelling their frustrations against the current state of the world. 

It is undeniable that across the globe, we as a population are experiencing within real-time a terrifying period of history. Music is an escape – live music, for many individuals, can feel like a brief window of reprieve for the soul-crushing weight of constantly being bombarded with non-stop, awful news. Jordan Benjamin, however, ensures that the crowd cannot turn a blind eye to the injustice that is occurring all over the world, and how it is crucial in shaping GRANDSON’s music. 

Baltimore-based trio PINKSHIFT brought more than enough adrenaline to begin the night, with their eclectic mix of pop-punk, post-hardcore and 90’s grunge-adjacent sound. Seeing their live performance was akin to watching a real-time emergence of a punk-rock butterfly spreading its wings. Vocalist Ashrita Kumar was a powerhouse on stage, and the band’s live sound diverted into a wonderfully heavier direction than their studio recordings. The moshing for Anita Ride was tentative at first, most likely due to most of the crowd being on the younger side of Gen-Z. However, by the time a wall of death was called upon for Blood, the audience had mustered up their courage to indulge in the culture of the pit. 

Ashrita’s unrelenting optimism and encouragement to ‘give the universe what you want to be given back’ played a significant hand in the crowd’s shift in energy, as well as calling for an all-girls and LGBTQ+ only pit for nothing (in my head). Their passion for equality shone through within their live performance, such as condemning ICE before bursting into one of their heavier, more aggressive tracks, Authority Problem. By the end of their set, the room was filled with heart-hands and an overwhelming sense of community amongst the audience, having been thoroughly prepared for GRANDSON.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKH3Hj4lqLs

If your walk-out tune of choice is Killing in the Name by rap-metal legends RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, it is to be expected that as an artist, this is an extremely high precedent to set for oneself. GRANDSON did not disappoint in this regard. The audio recordings of various individuals describing their identities and fears towards the current political climate provided a haunting prelude to the ensuing set, before exploding into Autonomous Delivery Robot. It was clear from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with GRANDSON that despite the addition of multiple touring musicians, this was a one-man show in the most delightful way. 

Off the bat, Jordan Benjamin stated that the purpose of his music was to ‘take progressive values and give them guitar riffs’, this was apparent in songs such as BURY YOU and BELLS OF WAR. Nearly every track was shrouded in red lighting, with the audio systems cranked up loud enough to shake the walls of Academy itself from all the way at the back of the venue. This was not just a live show; it was a political protest in the form of alt-rock synths and chugging guitars.

It is always a humbling experience to be far older than the majority of other concertgoers within a venue, and it is even more bizarre when you yourself are under twenty. However, this is not to say that the crowd were anything short of enthusiastic – the call and response for Oh No!!! was deafening, and the mosh pits were practically never-ending. The zealous passion that GRANDSON brought was all-consuming, with individuals even waving their crutches and mobility aids in the air for WHO’S THE ENEMY.

Jordan Benjamin’s love and appreciation for his fan base was evident throughout the evening, jumping into the crowd for mega-hit Blood // Water and shouting out various marginalised communities in between songs. Whilst for many other artists, it can often feel like their political activism is performative, this was not the case with how genuinely emotional GRANDSON was in vocalising his beliefs. The set hit a gentle lull with a stripped-back, melodic rendition of Heather, a deeply meaningful track dedicated to those in the fan base who have been lost to suicide, proving Jordan’s point of how ‘the other side of the coin with rage is grief’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVa22GU15D0

This show of unification and solidarity made it undeniable to acknowledge that the rightful rage being conveyed in both GRANDSON’s stage presence and intermittent political rants were infectious, no matter what age the crowd was. If anything, it is admirable that Jordan utilises his platform and awareness of having a youthful fan base to instil progressive ideologies within his live shows, ensuring that the future of the scene can continue to be safe and inclusive.

Words: Adrian Chapman

Photos: Jack Norris