Primal Scream
Manchester Apollo
19th March, 2011

It seems fitting to be attending this gig in Manchester, the birthplace of acid-house. It was through a mix of ecstasy-fuelled house culture and classic gospel, soul, blues and rock, that Primal Scream produced their classic Screamadelica. And how does it fair live, 20 years later? Pretty darn well, actually. The Scream took to the stage after a short DJ set from Screamadelica producer Andrew Weatherall, the stickthin Bobby Gillespie emerging to ask, “are you ready to testify!?”, before the band tore into the opening Moving On Up. From here, we were treated to every track from the album, albeit in a different order. A shrewd move, allowing the set to flow and build. The electric atmosphere was heightened by a swirling, psychedelic light show, complete with background visuals, while Bobby sang commandingly. The band, with only Martin Duffy and Andrew Innes present from Screamadelica, are tighter than Russell Brand’s trousers. A stunning mix of technology and musicianship. Highlight was Higher Than The Sun, its arrangement and execution leaving me speechless. Magical!