Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Robert Nichols enjoys a night of immersive sound and vision courtesy of Public Service Broadcasting
Image by Tracy Hyman
Imagine being in the cockpit of American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart’s final and fateful round the world flight. The immersive sound and vision experience of Public Service Broadcasting puts us right there in the co-pilot seat fighting through tropical monsoons, struggling for sight lines through the endless Arabian desert, coping with being far away from loved ones but living on the adventurous edge. The music is tense, dramatic, exhilarating, uplifting; we experience every emotion. We pretty much live and breathe it for one night as we are swept up by the PSB dream makers and flown out of any comfort zone of the wonderful Glasshouse; a one-off flight in Amelia’s Lockheed Electra.
Halo Maud performed on our first leg of the adventure bringing us French and English words over psychedelia. A heavy bass sound, a ripple of percussion, ambient guitar and a “Bonsoir” from the audience greeting as Halo Maud celebrate with exotic, exuberant vocals while broadcasting confetti over the front rows.
The wonderful EERA added her vocal talents to the PSB mix. Otherwise they are a band of few words allowing the skilfully curated public service excerpts to do their talking. Gradually Public Service Broadcasting picked up the pace, introducing a jiving three piece brass section, as well as grooving astronauts as J.Willgoose and the bespectacled boffins take us to the moon and back.
The energy enriched electronica and roaring guitar are driven along by Yorkshire terrier drummer and long term collaborator Wrigglesworth. It is our soundtrack for travel and infuses us with a spirit of adventure. We peer inside Apollo 8 and into the bowels of the Houston mission control room through the apertures of Amelia’s cockpit control gauges. We descend into a Welsh coal mine, pulsing with pixelated dancers, and for an encore we scale the highest peak, ascending to the summit of Everest.
What a gig, what an experience. What a band. Public Service Broadcasting. Absolutely out of this world. Should be prescribed on the National Health.
