PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING - The Glasshouse, Gateshead 21.10.2024

With the latest album 'The Last Flight' riding high in the charts on its first week of release it feels only fitting that Public Service Broadcasting are playing the “grown up” room (their words not mine) here at Gatesheads Glasshouse For International Music to a sold out eager crowd tonight .

They have actually played here before though but it was part of BBC6 Musics festival where they performed a set in the large foyer between the two halls!

Opening up the evening was Halo Maud a new artist to me and I really enjoyed the left field off kilter dreamy pop they gave us. At times I was reminded of The Sugar Cubes and that can only be a good thing right?

Back to "The Last Flight" though an album soundtracking aviation pioneer Amelia Earharts attempt to circumnavigate the globe sadly ending with her disappearance. The stage is set to resemble the dials and switches of Earharts cockpit with the band set up in front of them and as they take the stage the white suits from the Bright Magic tour are gone and we see the return of the corduroy of old!

The dials flicker into action doubling as video screens showing newsreel footage of Earhart interwoven with live camera feed of the band and animation and we have take off!

Three tracks from 'The Last Flight' start the evening off brilliantly with 'Towards The Dawns' pulsating drumbeat and J Willgoose Esq’s understated twanging guitar getting the crowd firmly onside. 'Electra' is next up inspired by the Lockheed aircraft that Amelia attempted this flight in. Wrigglesworth beats out an almost industrial back beat it’s like an engine, intertwining with the newsreel commentary and film footage the electronic melody layered with the (once again) gorgeous vocal of Eera just building and building, this is destined to be a huge PSB favourite live I can just tell.

Our first delve into the new release ends with 'The Fun Of It' a lush pop song which if released as a single could easily chart as high as the album has in my opinion with its quirky melody and blasting in with an

almost Weezer ish guitar mid way its glorious!

We stay up in the air though after this just a bit further up beyond the clouds with the trance like Sputnik into E.V.A.

Earlier this year the band performed the entire Every Valley album with full brass orchestra for the Durham International Brass Festival in the incredible surroundings of Durham Cathedral. This may account for only one track from that album getting an airing tonight ('People Will Always Need Coal') but with a back catalogue as rich in quality as theirs it must be hard to choose which make the final setlist each night.

At the start of the show there was a recorded message asking people to be sparse with their mobile phones and chit chat which can be quite annoying which whilst funny in its delivery actually worked, through the whole set I don’t think I saw anyone waving a phone about and during quieter subtle numbers like the acoustic led 'The South Atlantic' you could hear nothing but the music and Eeras voice which was so refreshing!

The musicianship on the stage is simply stunning J F Abraham playing everything from bass to a vibraslap via horns and keyboards, the brassy gents getting their groove on, Wrigglesworth absolutely smashing it at the kit Eera adding so much texture with her vocal and at the helm on guitars, keys and vocals J Wilgoose Esq using music to hopefully prod us towards information and learning a little more about the past.

The whole production was perfect to be fair each track very cleverly accompanied with the lighting , visuals and live camera work from Mr B and considering the set was changing each night of the tour he was kept on his toes in that department! Hats off to you sir!

For me the culmination of the production was during 'Monsoons' where it felt like thunder and lightning was actually hitting the room as the tune built to a crescendo really capturing the panic of trying to handle a plane through a storm.

'Spitfire' as usual has the audience in the palm of their hands before a beautiful 'Lichtspiel III' paves the way for the showstopping 'The Other Side' which centred around the Apollo 8 mission specifically when Houston lost contact with them, to this day every time they play this I swear I can’t be the only person who holds their breath during that “lost” section just to feel the relief when contact is resumed … or maybe I am haha.

The main set could quite easily have ended the rapturous applause and cheers for 'Go!' But instead opted to delve back to the debut to give us 'Lit Up' for the first time in a long time live and it felt just right!

Returning to the stage there’s one last visit to 'The Final Flight' and showcasing Eera once more with the gorgeous 'A Different Kind Of Love' and once again I applaud the audience for the respect any attention the gave throughout tonight’s performance!

The old favourites 'Gagarin' and 'Everest' bring the evening to a close the former seeing the brassy gents out front busting moves alongside our dancing cosmonauts and the latter celebrating the conquest of Peak 15 both tunes huge favourites and both kinda about the same subject really - why go into space / why climb Everest - because it’s there!

I’m already trying to work out which additional shows I can attend next March such is the appeal of this band live.

I was super lucky to be able to be at that Durham Cathedral show I mentioned earlier and I thought it was going to be a hard one to beat this year but it has a partner now at joint top.

Public Service Broadcasting - Thank you very very very much!

Photos & Review - G's Gig Shots