PVRIS • Pale Waves • June 7, 2024 • The Depot
Reviewed and Photographed by Morgan Newbold
Earlier this month, the east coast band PVRIS made their return to Salt Lake on their ‘Oil and Water’ 2024 tour! They played at The Depot, tucked right in the heart of downtown SLC. It’s one of my favorite venues and the vibes there are always spot on. I was eager to see them ever since their newest album dropped. I think they have an incredibly fun style and live show, from what I’ve seen. So, of course, that drew me in to photograph them. Opened by the always iconic Pale Waves, a Dirty Hit fan favorite, it was a night of some raw badassery from these talented frontwomen.
PVRIS, led by vocalist Lynn Gunn, got their start in Massachusetts in the early 2010s. The original lineup started in 2009, under a different name, and band members have since changed a few times over the years. They started as a metal band and gradually went more electronic pop when they released their first self-titled EP. PVRIS has moved around labels and toured quite a bit. They found commercial success with their first studio album ‘White Noise’, and their hit ‘You and I’ released on the deluxe album in 2016, went viral. That’s when I had first heard of them and that song definitely played a part in my early teens. They’ve put out an album roughly every 3 years since 2014, consistently evolving their sound and style. The newest record, EVERGREEN, released almost a year ago, has an overall pop rock and electronic punk sound, very bass and drum heavy. PVRIS has won several Artist of the Year music awards over the years!
Pale Waves
Walking into the venue, Pale Waves had just started, I could hear songs I knew and was really excited to see them again! This indie-goth-pop band is from Manchester and currently consists of Vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie, drummer Ciara Doran, guitarist Hugo Silvani, and bassist Charlie Wood. They have released 3 albums since 2017 and won 2 NME Awards in 2018 for NME Under the Radar and Best Breakthrough Act.
They always have great energy and a solid, consistent style in their music. They’re a really fun group with an edgy goth style, especially from Heather!
Pale Waves played a great assortment of hits from their 3 records, including ‘Television Romance’, ‘She’s My Religion’, and ‘Jealousy’. They still sounded just as great as when I saw them open for The 1975 in 2019!
Their stage presence is electric, with strobe and dim red lights, and Heather’s thick black eyeliner and shaggy hair really sell their whole vibe.
PVRIS
PVRIS was finally up next, I met up with my photographer friends to enjoy the show and shoot side by side with them. It’s always fun when they are there because we learn a lot from each other. The lighting for their set was heavily green and orange, and red, which was a fun change from the regular purples and blues. They definitely utilizated all colors and strobes, and it gave the performance a dark electric feel.
Lynn’s vocals are masterful, she has such a powerful presence and I frequently had goosebumps during her belting songs. The rest of the band was superb and it was clear they had great chemistry with Lynn, frequently leaning on eachother and locking eyes during guitar solos, which were epic and very enjoyable to watch! I meandered around from the photo pit, to the balcony and VIP, hoping to capture the essence of the room.
When the crowd started jumping and the strobes were flashing, those were the moments that stuck with me the most. Visually and musically, surreal moments. PVRIS is such a fun group. With their incredible stage presence, I’m sure I’ll opt to see/shoot them again in the future! Make sure you catch them before they finish up their 2024 US TOUR in JULY! Or, later this summer/fall where they’ll be supporting The Smashing Pumpkins. HUGE!