IT'S a journey that has taken them from St Wilfrid's Primary School in Hartford to BBC Radio 1
Passing St Nicholas High School, Sir John Deane's College and 300,000 Spotify streams en route, Northwich band Pacific are now gearing up to play their biggest headline gig to date.
Having sold out The Salty Dog for a homecoming gig, the band now turn their attention to Manchester and renowned 600-capacity venue Gorilla on April 3.
It’s a defining moment for the piano-indie rock band, which could see their momentum soar alongside new music support from BBC Introducing and industry tastemakers.
The four-piece is made up of Kingsmead brothers Anthony and Daniel Orzel – who attended St Wilfrid's and later St Nick's – along with former Sir John Deane's College guitarist Dave Bithell and Warrington drummer Drew Burns.
Pacific's sell-out headline gig at The Salty Dog last January kicked off what has been a meteoric rise.
Frontman Anthony Orzel said: “Our ambition started right here in Northwich, growing up in Kingsmead and absorbing inspiration from everywhere we could get it.
"Selling out The Salty Dog last year was massive, and without that spark we wouldn’t be headlining our own show, now at a near 600-capacity venue in Manchester city centre next month.
"We’ve had so many messages from fellow Northwich fans that came to The Salty Dog and are making their way to Manchester to support us.
"We can’t wait to do our town proud and would love for others to join us there.”
The band, consisting of Anthony on vocals and piano, songwriting brother Daniel on synths, bass, and backing vocals, Dave Bithell on guitars and drummer Drew Burns, was spun on Radio 1 by new music champion Huw Stephens.
Their radio play also extended to a live 30-minute BBC Introducing gig, playlisting from Amazing Radio and Jack FM, and support from XS Manchester where they performed a live session on-air.
Pacific went on to sell out two further shows in 2019 at Manchester venues, as well as playing Y Not Festival 2019 after winning a national public vote that saw thousands of acts across the country enter.
The band performed alongside the likes of Foals, Two Door Cinema Club and Elbow at the popular festival in the Peak District.
The band’s latest single release 'Idols' in January has seen support from BBC Introducing, local radio stations and extensive music magazines, where the song has been hailed as 'original at the core, surrounded by a unified force of sheer creativity and energy' (Jammerzine), creating its own 'unique spin on indie-rock' (Indie Is Not A Genre), and 'sure to become an anthem' (Wolf In A Suit).
The Guardian also caught up with the band after their set at Blackthorn Festival last year, which saw the ever-growing number of successful mid Cheshire bands take over the line-up.
Pacific have also picked up backing from football clubs Salford City FC – who use the band’s music throughout their videos – and Manchester rivals United and City.
As well as half-time plays at Old Trafford, Pacific have performed as pre-match entertainment at the Etihad Stadium.
Tickets for Pacific’s headline gig at Gorilla, Manchester are available from Gorilla’s website and on Gigs and Tours.
Find the band on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and at pacificofficial.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel