PINS at Electric Owl, Vancouver, Oct 15 2014. Dan Young photo.

Review and photos – PINS at Electric Owl, Vancouver, Oct 15 2014

– review by Shawn Conner/photos by Dan Young

All the way from Manchester they came, four young lasses calling themselves PINS. Playing short, sharp bursts of garage-y rock, the quartet was all about dirty guitars, snarling vocals, and big-beat drumming. Smiling, doll-like guitarist Lois McDonald in particular seemed to be having fun. Playing to the sparse crowd, who gradually moved closer to the stage, she came to the edge, stood on the speakers and stepped down onto the dancefloor.

Lead singer Faith Holgate, looking very poised, announced it was the band’s first time in Canada. Other members include Anna Donigan on bass and Lara Williams on drums.

PINS have one full-length, Girls Like Us. A couple of cassettes and a 12″ single were also available at the merch table. In a brief chat after the show, Williams mentioned the group recently recorded the follow-up at Joshua Tree.

Live, they’re still a little unpolished – at least they were last night – but that won’t last. Anyway, it was a fun set, full of catchy rock tunes that never overstayed their welcome. Also, they did a cover of “Hybrid Moments”, my girlfriend’s favourite Misfits song. For part of the song, Holgate handed over the mic to an audience member. The cadre of mostly middle-aged men in attendance approved. Why wouldn’t they?

Video – PINS, “Girls Like Us”:

Opening the show was Vancouver indie-rock band Watermelon. The trio has good songs but offered little onstage energy. (The band didn’t even announce who they were.) For most of Watermelon’s set, the PINS ladies stood watching, clustered together in the middle of the dancefloor. Before going onstage, McDonald came up to a couple of the Watermelons and complimented them on their set.

More photos of PINS:

Faith Holgate with PINS at Electric Owl, Vancouver, Oct. 15 2014. Dan Young photo.