As you can see, I've been that busy that my promise to blog on a regular basis has not panned out as hoped. I am looking to putting that right. Here's a review I recently did for Nottingham Live of Spiritualized's gig at The Rescue Rooms. I'm looking at doing more of this in the future, so keep your eyes out.
Love and peace
Andy
What constitutes a Nottingham band? Are they required to have served their apprenticeship performing to 3 indifferent people in a local pub before progressing up the ladder to the likes of The Maze and beyond? Or is the fact that they have some band members from Nottingham good enough?
Spiritualized fall into the latter category – Nottingham musicians Doggen (Guitar) and Kev Bales (Drums) joining the fold after their commercial peak with 1997’s “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space” album (ex-Echoboy and Hybird Richard Warren and Spotlight Kid’s Chris Davis have also had spells with the band). On this basis we can claim them as our own – making Spiritualized very much the Greg Rusedskis of the Nottingham Music Scene.
To be fair the band have made no attempt to latch onto the increasing buzz around “Music City Nottingham”, but, proud of any breakthrough a local musician achieves into the wider music world, Nottingham is always keen to latch onto Spiritualized.
Whatever your opinions on this matter, there is no doubt to any of the attendees of the opening night of Spiritualized’s opening night of their UK tour that there is a distinct hometown feel about the gig. As I enter the Rescue Rooms, I spot members of local bands such as The Amber Herd and Blind Mouse, as well as ex members of Six by Seven. The aforementioned Doggen and Kev also have some friends in attendance. The air of anticipation in the packed room as the hour of 9 approached was tangible.
Touring their upcoming album “”Sweet Heart Sweet Light”, the band takes to the stage amidst a sea of dry ice. Main man Jason Pierce takes his position stage right, standing side on to the audience and almost facing their band. In previous years, Jason has been seated throughout, but tonight he is standing. Spiritualized mean business.
Launching into lead song from the new album, “Hey Jane”, there are initially some sound issues. The female backing singers in particular are inaudible. These issues are soon put to one side, and by the time of the fifth song, the mighty “Lay Back in The Sun” from the 1995 album “Pure Phase”, they are fully in their stride.
The quality of musicianship on show is jaw dropping, Pierce providing a wash of guitar effects to complement Doggen’s sublime guitar work. All band members play their part though, and this is by no means a two man show.
Jason Pierce has taken great care over the years to distance the Spiritualized sound from that of his previous band, Spacemen 3. Tonight, however, the overtly psychedelic sounds reminiscent of Spacemen 3 are much more apparent, this being enhanced by the Spacemen-esque imagery projected onto the backdrop.
Although the traditional chatter around the bar area of The Rescue Rooms does little to aid the enjoyment of those stood at the back, the front three quarters of the audience are totally captivated by the intensity of the activities on stage. Jason Pierce does not converse with the audience, save for a couple of quiet “thank yous” at the end of the performance, but this does not matter to the assembled, who are completely drawn in by the quality of the band.
The set leans heavily on the upcoming album, and their approach of performing the new album in its entirety last autumn has paid off in abundance. The new songs are so finely developed for the live arena that they appear to have been playing them for years; such is the tightness on show. There is a little slip at the beginning of the rarely played “The Twelve Steps”, but the band recovers from this without stopping and with such aplomb that it is barely noticeable.
The one hour 45 minutes set ends with a number of songs from that 1997 breakthrough album, albeit not the obvious ones, “Come Together” and “I think I’m in love” being put to one side in favour of “Stay with Me”, “Electricity” and a truncated “Cop Shoot Cop”, which brings the evening to an almighty close.
Despite illnesses that have beset the band in the last 10 years, Spiritualized proved tonight that they remain a force to be reckoned with. There are so many moments that leave the audience awe-struck; you have to wonder why they are not playing at larger venues. On the evidence of the buzz of the crowd departing into the night, you know for sure that at least part of Nottingham is proud to consider Spiritualized as one of their own.
