THE FRONT ROW

Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre is a picturesque oddity — part coastal amphitheatre, part rave arena when the right act rolls into town. And on Friday night, it was very much the latter, as Pendulum made their long-awaited return to the Yorkshire coast with a full-throttle headline set, supported by rising Swedish alt-rock outfit Normandie.

By 7:30pm, the venue was already buzzing, with Normandie’s support slot kicking off a night of tightly wound, emotionally charged aggression. The Stockholm-based trio may not have been familiar to every Pendulum fan in attendance, but they wasted no time making their presence known, all thunderous riffs, searing synths, and huge, sky-reaching choruses.

Frontman Philip Strand commanded the stage with a mix of intensity and vulnerability, belting out tracks that fused alternative rock, metalcore dynamics and pop-influenced melodies. Songs like Serotonin, Babylon and Holy Water showcased the band’s talent for writing soaring hooks without losing their heavier edge, each track delivered with conviction and tight execution.

Though the setlist order wasn’t obvious, the flow of the show never faltered. The band balanced the punchier, high-tempo moments with atmospheric slow burns like Hourglass and Flowers for the Grave, keeping the crowd engaged even if some were hearing the songs for the first time. The real power of Normandie lies in their ability to shift gears smoothly, from quiet reflection to full-blown catharsis in seconds.

Their mix of guitar grit, clean-cut vocals and electronic flourishes made them a fitting warm-up for what Pendulum would later unleash. By the time the band wrapped with a final track, White Flag, it was clear they’d left a lasting impression. Not every opening act earns genuine applause from a Pendulum crowd, but Normandie pulled it off with style.

One to watch, and more than deserving of bigger UK stages.

Then came Pendulum.

Few acts blend metal, electronica, punk and drum’n’bass into something both technically mind-blowing and festival-ready quite like Pendulum, and Friday night’s set was a masterclass in why they still command such fervent loyalty two decades on. From the second opener Napalm dropped, it was clear the band hadn’t come to play it safe. The stage lit up in a blitz of LED strobes and pyro, with frontman Rob Swire leading the charge through a mammoth 90-minute show that barely let the crowd breathe.

Newer cuts like Save the Cat and Cannibal slotted effortlessly alongside classic bangers, proving the band’s evolution hasn’t dulled their edge. Propane Nightmares arrived early in the set, unleashing a wave of nostalgia for mid-2000s fans who lost their minds the second that horn riff kicked in. It’s still a monster of a track, and here it was given new life with live guitar and tighter, more menacing synth layers.

What sets Pendulum apart live is their ability to pivot, Crush and Come Alive brought a sense of anthemic grandeur, while Blood Sugar (blended expertly with The Prodigy’s Voodoo People remix) ignited the front rows into a frenzy. Half-rave, half-metal gig, the entire show felt like a hybrid event. Granite and Colourfast offered a dose of melody and space, before the main set rounded out with a stacked run of The Island Pt. I (Dawn), Halo, and the devastating Witchcraft.

There was a moment of pure release during Self vs Self, arguably Pendulum’s heaviest track, when Scarborough turned into a full-blown mosh pit. The mix of sharp guitars and pulsating electronics has never sounded tighter, and the live drums, always a key part of Pendulum’s punch, anchored the chaos with absolute precision.

Of course, no Pendulum show would be complete without Watercolour, the shimmering, euphoric closer that has lost none of its power over time. The lyrics (“When I’m falling down, will you pick me up again?”) were bellowed back by thousands, a rare moment of vulnerability in an otherwise ruthless set.

The band returned for a single encore, Tarantula, which tore through the theatre like a bomb. Equal parts dancehall, jungle and punk, it was a raucous finale that sent bodies flying and arms flailing, a final reminder that Pendulum aren’t just electronic pioneers, they’re live performance beasts.

Verdict:
Pendulum continue to prove why they’re one of the most important and genre-defying live acts of their era. With a set that satisfied die-hard fans and newcomers alike, and a support slot that showed Normandie are ones to watch, this was a night where Scarborough truly felt like the centre of the alternative universe, even if just for a few sweaty, glorious hours.