In the aftermath of this sterling Pavement performance, talk was not so much about the band's display, but the loose possibility that the US alternative heroes had split.
In the week since, such speculation appears to have been replaced by an uncertain shrug of the shoulders, but fair play to those who may have believed it, because tonight Pavement were on the edge.
Rumours about handcuffs on Stephen Malkmus' mic stand and reports of spitting statements suggesting the band wanted to quit, all appear to have been misconstrued, because taking some time-off to 'dream it all up again' is hardly a split. But the simple fact that the band - after almost a decade of wonderfully off-kilter melodies, sublime lyrical prowess and rock ingenuity – played five songs from the deepest recesses of their career at the close, suggest something is amiss.
For the opening two thirds of the show – Christmas fairy lights wandering around each member – the Pavement spark of invention was a little dimmed. Perhaps this was because when they play live, Pavement's oblique eccentricities and subtleties, particularly in such an impersonal venue, can be lost.
Opening with the grunging, two-drummer assault of 'Grounded', then sliding into the taut melodic flow of 'Spit On A Stranger', the band were unusually surly and routine at times. Having said that, the chrome-plated purge of 'Date W/Ikea', is a psychedelic masterpiece and 'Rattled By The Rush' does exactly what it promises. 'Shady Line' is equally exceptional, the trundling melody and left-field lyrical perception fed through Malkmus' increasingly legendary mouth.
In between, some of the less inspired moments of 'Terror Twilight' drifted by a little bereft, until a technical problem saw the band – seeming increasingly perturbed - walking-off and wandering around uncertainly. The hiatus proved to be a blessing, the band launching into the juddering, caustic blast of a particularly fierce 'Stereo' on their return. The track blasted forward like a wounded, howling beast, sending a bolt of electricity through the band and into the crowd, which spat and sparkled for the rest of the gig.
The last five songs, - four of which were taken from debut album 'Slanted and Enchanted' - were superb, but a reminder also of how archaic and abrasive Pavement were back in 1991. The alt-rock godhead 'Trigger Cut' was typically smooth but blunt, as the screaming backing vocals came to the fore.
In between 'Zurich Is Stained' and 'Here', the band nailed 'Conduit For Sale' into the set. Another full-frontal aural assault, Bob Nastanovich prowled the stage like an errant LA rap hound, shouting his way through the track, as the band shifted randomly from demented confrontation to a tender low-down sound.
The close though was totally maudlin, amplifying rumours of disquiet. Final track 'Here' - 'I was dressed for success, but success it never comes' – resonating with the sound of absolute sadness. Despite lacking the de-tuned thump of the recorded version, the symbolism was obvious as Malkmus intoned: 'everything's ending here'.
Very little was said as the band departed, although comments along the lines of 'thanks for coming all these years' may have been uttered. Either way terminal retirement seems unlikely. Give them a year to remove the sonic fuzz from their brains and Pavement will be back. The urge will surely be too strong. They also know just how good they can be.
