Froge.tour
| Tour by Piri & Tommy | |
| Associated album | Froge.mp3 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2 November 2022 |
| End date | 19 November 2022 |
| No. of shows | 9 |
| Piri & Tommy concert chronology | |
Froge.tour (/froʊɡ/) is a nine-date tour by English drum and bass group Piri & Tommy. The tour began on 2 November 2022 at Belgrave Music Hall and ended on 19 November 2022 at The Warehouse Project. Released to promote their mixtape Froge.mp3, the tour was performed to mixed critical reception.
Background[edit]
Piri met Tommy Villiers in 2020;[1] at the time, Piri was in a phase of drawing frogs and toads, and they started calling each other 'froge' (/froʊɡ/)[2] as a nickname.[3] She released a solo single produced by Villiers in 2021, "Soft Spot",[4] which went viral on TikTok and Spotify, prompting EMI to sign the pair, and re-release "Soft Spot"[5] under the name "Piri & Tommy Villiers"[6] and release "Beachin" and "Words" as Piri & Tommy. Polydor Records later signed them and released "On & On".[7] On 21 September 2022, it was announced that they would release their début album Froge.mp3, which they promoted with a nine-date tour.[8]
Repertoire, tour personnel and equipment[edit]
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Gigwise's review of their Scala gig noted that "[Piri & Tommy we]re dressed exactly how you’d expect a Gen Z raver couple to dress: Piri’s come out on an orange halter top, short pink skirt, and chunky black trainers[, ...] Tommy’s in a white shirt, white cargo pants, and appropriately frog-green sunglasses", and that "Scala's stage [wa]s replete with potted plants, a small Persian rug, [...] giant mushrooms[, ...] and a stripper pole for Piri";[9] Piri had learned pole dancing while studying chemistry at Lancaster University.[10] Their performances also contained beach balls and green frogs,[11] the latter of which were stolen after their Leeds gig.[12] In addition, their Scala gig featured a guest spot from Parthenope,[13] their Bodega gig featured Maisi as a support act,[12] and their Komedia gig featured Coupdekat as a support act.[11]
Their Komedia gig lasted for 52 minutes;[11] The Guardian's review of said gig noted that "[a]t the front of the stage, the crowd [we]re word-perfect and vociferous enough to occasionally drown the duo out".[14] The tour was directed by musical director Charlie Deakin Davies.[2] On-stage, Piri used a TC Helicon vocal effects processor, Tommy used two guitars,[11] and the tour featured a live drummer.[11]
Set list[edit]
Sets included "Soft Spot",[11] "Beachin",[12] "Words",[9] "On & On",[14] album tracks "Slowly But Surely",[11] "Silver Lining",[9] "Settle",[11] and "Say It",[12] cover versions of Chic's "Everybody Dance" and Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman",[12] future singles[7] "Updown" and "Nice 2 Me", and "See Saw".[11]
Critical reception[edit]
Reviews for the tour were mixed. Reviewing the Scala gig, Gigwise described the setup as "evocative of your mate's cozy living room", and that "Piri’s pole dancing [...] is pretty decent, and elicits a wild cheer from the crowd – it’s a nice alternative from a typical dance choreo"; however, they found the setup "almost a bit too on the nose – aesthetically, it's everything happening on TikTok with a hint of spice to set them apart".[9] LeftLion, on the other hand, noted that their Bodega "set simultaneously contained a feeling of relaxed, playful spontaneity while at the same time maintaining a sense of polish and cohesivity that you wouldn't expect two so early in their careers to have cracked".[12] The Guardian described their Komedia gig as "appealingly wonky, homespun fun", but noted that "there are moments when it can all feel a little too toothsome for its own good"; it also described the pair's cover of "Gypsy Woman" as "fluffy", but noted that "a distinct shard of toughness [wa]s lost in the shift from Waters’ hard-edged vocal to [Piri]’s soft coo".[14] Brighton and Hove News complimented their cover of "Everybody Dance", noting that it "[wa]s truly amazing to hear the young crowd singing along to a tune their mums would have danced to decades ago".[11]
Tour dates[edit]
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 November 2022 | Leeds | United Kingdom | Belgrave Music Hall |
| 3 November 2022 | Nottingham | Bodega Social Club | |
| 4 November 2022 | Brighton | Komedia | |
| 5 November 2022 | Bristol | The Thekla | |
| 8 November 2022 | London | Scala | |
| 15 November 2022 | Berlin | Germany | PrivatClub |
| 16 November 2022 | Amsterdam | The Netherlands | Paradiso |
| 18 November 2022 | Paris | France | Pitchfork Festival |
| 19 November 2022 | Manchester | United Kingdom | The Warehouse Project |
References[edit]
- ^ Helm, Jake. "Piri and Tommy: meet the rising stars of pop". The Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022.
- ^ a b "piri & tommy: Student Radio Class of 2023". Retrieved 14 April 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Hype List 2023: piri & tommy: "You've just got to take one thing at a time"". Dork. 30 November 2022. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "piri". Spotify. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021.
- ^ "The Zoomer Embrace of Drum 'n' Bass". Pitchfork. 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "piri, Tommy Villiers - Soft Spot Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ a b "piri Singles and EPs discography". Spotify. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b "piri & tommy have announced their debut project, 'froge.mp3'". Dork. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Screen To Stage: Piri + Tommy at Scala, 8/11/22". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "The Daisy Adams Show w/ Piri and Tommy Villiers 27th October 2021". Reform Radio. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "'Mutations Festival' – Day Two Report (Friday)". Brightonandhovenews.org. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Gig Review: piri & tommy at The Bodega". LeftLion. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Photo Gallery: Piri & Tommy - Scala, London 08/11/2022". When The Horn Blows. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
- ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis (6 November 2022). "Piri and Tommy review – infectious, candy-striped pop fun". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2023.