Live Report: Panchiko shine at the Button Factory

Panchiko kicked off their 2025 tour at Dublin’s Button Factory last night, delivering a spellbinding performance.

Gripping an electric guitar and donning a long white flowing skirt, Mei Semones took the stage. Though the New York artist appeared shy, her soft, delicate voice filled the venue. Blending jazz with indie-pop, Semones incorporated English and Japanese lyrics into each song.

“This is my first time ever being in Dublin,” she confessed.

Her agility on guitar was put on full display, with blue and orange spotlights casting a glow onto her silhouette. Semones would pull back and then gradually build into a heavier sound, paired expertly with her intimate, warm vocals. Her songs addressed themes of love and longing, attracting the audience into her world of deep affection.

“I actually usually play with a full band– the viola and violin and upright bass and drums,” she said. “Obviously they’re not here today, it’s just me.”

“You’re great, don’t worry!” one audience member shouted.

Semones thanked the crowd one final time before exiting the stage, leaving a sea of eager fans in her wake.

Panchiko kicked off their set with the instantly recognisable track, ‘Stabilisers For Big Boys.’ The song came off their 2000 debut EP, D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L.

In 2016, a user on 4chan posted a photo of the CD, which had previously never been uploaded to the internet. The listener shared each song, filled with disc rot, across social media platforms. The EP began circulating throughout music communities online. Users went on a hunt to identify the band, until someone eventually found the Facebook account of lead vocalist Owain Davies. From there, Panchiko went on to release new music and sell out three US tours, with another one beginning in May.

“If you’re making music, make music. Just do it. Do your thing,” Davies told the crowd. “I believe in it.”

 

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Given their background, it’s no mystery why fans were so excited for the show. Davies wore an army green baseball cap, a matching button-up and white graphic tee, with large slanted letters spelling PANCHIKO flashing on the screen behind him. When the band began performing ‘Ginkgo,’ the title track off their upcoming album, his wailing vocals really shined. Melodic and introspective, the song fit beautifully into Panchiko's catalogue.

While the group played loads of newer tracks, the audience held a clear preference for anything off D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L. The guitar fill in ‘CUT’ was intoxicating and dreamy, and the crowd bobbed along. Davies switched between microphones, frequently opting for a more distorted sound.

‘All They Wanted,’ released in 2020, roused the audience's spirits. Layered and full of bass, the indie-rock track blended skillfully into ‘The Eyes of Ibad.’ The intro of that song alone sent the crowd screaming. I found myself closing my eyes as the band played, absorbing each note with reverence.

The climax of the night was undoubtedly their EP’s title track, ‘D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L.’ The song, which garnered over 40 million streams on Spotify, acts as an anthemic staple for the group. By the end of the show, it was clear their devoted fans were hungry for more.

The band waved goodbye and snapped a photo of the crowd, walking off stage without an encore. Enigmatic and effortlessly cool, Panchiko maintains legendary status.