TikTok’s favourite DnB duo piri and tommy lit up a sold-out Bodega with a sunshine-infused set, perfect to combat the cold November nights creeping back in...
Straight off the back of the release of their debut mixtape, froge.mp3, the rapidly growing ‘piri and tommy nation’ (as piri herself described the crowd) flocked to The Bodega, Nottingham’s hub of exciting new talent.
And it really doesn’t get more exciting than this pair; with hits like on & on and soft spot spreading like absolute wildfire on the internet, it’s only a matter of time before they take over the world. Earlier this year, they inspired even more new followers after their infectiously fun performance at Dot to Dot Festival, gracing the stage down at Rescue Rooms. Returning for a headline show so high in demand, it’s clear that they’re proving themselves to be worth the hype.
Starting the night off with summery anthem, beachin’, the crowd was instantly invited to return to that wildly missed festival feeling that the pair entirely capture within their work. The tone was immediately set for positive vibes only, from two performers that have something of a superpower to capture audiences into a carefree trance.
Launching beach balls into the crowd, that interactive relationship that the duo has with their fans was clearly made. It’s clear to see that they understand their mission; to make the people move, and to spread their energy. Taking instant classics from the new release such as say it and silver lining and pairing them with piri & tommy takes of dance anthems Gypsy Woman and Chic’s Everybody Dance, the feel-good set was truly chosen and mixed to perfection.
The 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. Even down to the little details like planned dance moves and interactions between the pair, they’ve got it on lock.
The same applies even from a branding perspective; despite having had their frogs stolen on the previous night of their tour in Leeds, their frog motif was still very much present in the form of inflatable frogs brought by the crowd. They’re masterfully creating a name for themselves with a brand that’s quintessentially Gen-Z, welcoming and more than anything, fun.
Next to me, I was entertained to find a group of girls who seemed to have choreographed the set for themselves, dancing as a group for the entire night, demonstrating that the music of piri & tommy is entirely social. It’s clear that they’ve really found their people within their fanbase; entire groups of friends are enthralled by them, knowing every beat, moving for the whole time. We really did move on and on and on and on.
Given that they’re a real-life couple offstage, it’s unsurprising that they have a ridiculous amount of chemistry as performers. Their devastatingly gorgeous vocals both have such a smoothness that when mixed together sounds absolutely incredible, even on tracks where the pair play around with stylistic auto tune, such as unreleased track updown, where I particularly enjoyed piri’s exploration of her ‘hyperpop era’.
It’s impossible not to fall in love with piri & tommy and watching them onstage only substantiates that fact further; their combined stage presence and ability to engage a crowd for the entire duration of their set, despite being the new kids on the block, shows promise that the hype for the pair will only continue to blossom as the move up the ladder to bigger and better things. It’s time for the rise of the piri & tommy nation.
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