Panchiko’s story sounds like a film, and their sold out Belfast debut was the perfect happy ending…

Words & photos by Jamie Orr (@diabolicallywicked) | Nov 02, 2026

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Life can take some interesting twists and turns. For Nottingham indie-rock band Panchiko, their journey has quite literally been one of the ultimate underdog stories in modern music history, a true lottery win. If you know the lore behind the band’s unlikely rise to cult status, you’ll appreciate just how extraordinary it is to see them here today. And if you don’t know the story, here’s the rundown.

Formed in Nottingham in the late 90s, Panchiko were a group of school friends making music influenced by bands such as Radiohead and Super Furry Animals, with hopes of making something of it. In 2000, they self-released their EP “D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L”, pressing just 30 copies before eventually going their separate ways, seemingly disappearing without a trace.

Fast forward to 2016, when one of those CDs was stumbled upon in an Oxfam charity shop in Nottingham. An anonymous 4chan user posted about the discovery, asking if anyone knew who the band were and sharing his surprise at just how good the EP was. He later uploaded the tracks to the forum, despite the CD being severely affected by disc rot, which left the recordings with a strange, distorted sound.

What followed was an internet-wide treasure hunt, with users across 4chan, Reddit, Discord and other forums joining the search to uncover the band’s identity. After four years of digging, lead singer Owain Davies was finally tracked down, and the mystery was solved.

The band had unknowingly developed a cult following, and what started as a forgotten teenage project suddenly had a second life. It really is the kind of coming-of-age story you’d expect to see in a film. Reunited and back on the road, Panchiko have gone from a handful of forgotten CDs to playing to fans around the world. Not a bad turn of events for a band who thought their story had ended before it had really begun.

It’s amazing what the internet and social media can do, particularly when you see just how connected and dedicated music communities around the world have become. Panchiko are a perfect example of this, with fans refusing to let their music disappear and ultimately helping give the band a second chance to chase their dreams.

Supporting Panchiko at their Belfast show are Arizona shoegaze and dream pop band Alison’s Halo. With the Belfast Empire Hall already looking close to full capacity, the band take to the stage, delivering a delicate, dreamy and ethereal set that perfectly complements Panchiko’s sound.

Singer and guitarist Catherine Cooper has a lovely, light vocal style that blends beautifully with the band’s reverb-heavy guitars. There’s a real nostalgic feel to their sound, with a distinct 90s and early 2000s shoegaze influence.

Alison’s Halo’s setlist included songs such as “Calendar”, “Melt” and “Dozen”, all of which encapsulate the band’s dreamy shoegaze sound and nostalgic 90s influences. Their music almost reminds me of the soundtracks to Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, which got me wondering whether bands like Alison’s Halo may have had some influence on Akira Yamaoka’s work.

The time finally came for Panchiko’s sold out Belfast debut, and you could feel the excitement building around the room. I kept catching snippets of conversations throughout the night, with fans chatting about the band and clearly counting down the minutes until they took to the stage. It’s always nice to see that kind of dedication, and Panchiko certainly deserve all the praise and appreciation they get from their fanbase.

Panchiko took to the stage under layers of haze as bright lights illuminated the room, with the audience roaring with excitement. You could instantly tell how ecstatic everyone was, and the band were clearly just as excited, interacting with the crowd, signing memorabilia, having little chats and throwing out fist bumps left, right and centre.

Panchiko came primed and ready with an 18-song setlist showcasing songs across their discography. Having been relatively busy making up for lost time, the band put together a setlist spanning three albums, alongside demo material and songs from their upcoming fourth album, Chimera. It was a nicely balanced selection, giving fans a little taste of everything from across their musical journey.

For the first section of the night, Panchiko kicked things off with “Stabilisers For Big Boys”, “Stuck”, “Gingko” and “Cut”, throwing the audience straight into tracks from their early EP and Gingko before moving on to “One Car Hits Another” and “Georgia” from the band’s upcoming fourth album, Chimera. From the get-go, the audience were singing and swaying back and forth, showing their appreciation for the band.

Panchiko demonstrated exactly why these songs resonate so well with their following, with their reverb-heavy guitars, bizarre synthetic keyboard sounds and singer Owain Davies’ mellow, melancholic vocals all coming together to create their distinctive sound. There’s something incredibly familiar yet wonderfully raw about their music, an atmosphere that feels even more pronounced and nostalgic in a live setting.

As Panchiko worked their way through the night, delivering a masterclass in lo-fi shoegaze, there was plenty of banter back and forth between the band and the crowd. Guitarist Rob Harris was particularly keen to ask audience members what they were dressed as. With it being the night before Halloween, of course people were going to don their best costumes, whether that was a young punter painted entirely yellow and dressed as Homer Simpson or someone sporting a Fred from Scooby-Doo costume. And, of course, there was the scariest costume of them all: me, a starving artist!

As the night reached its final act, Panchiko really pulled out all the stops, playing some of their most recognisable songs from the EP that started it all. The mystery, the hunt and everything that followed had all led to moments like this. As soon as Panchiko began the intro to “D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L”, the room erupted into a frenzy of cheers.

To me, this song has played such an integral part in Panchiko’s rise to cult status. It’s such a structurally unique track, with its melancholic tone, looping synthetic sounds and soft chimes. I genuinely consider it up there with some of Radiohead’s greatest songs.

Panchiko finished the night off with both “Laputa” and “Kicking Cars”, giving the audience one final send-off. The room was still full of energy, with fans singing along and making the most of every last moment.

It was a fitting end to a brilliant night, and a reminder of just how far this band have come. From a forgotten CD found in a charity shop to selling out venues and having rooms full of people singing their songs back at them, Panchiko’s story really is something special. It was a pleasure to finally see them bring that story to Belfast.