Public Service Broadcasting Dazzle

It’s a cold night in Nottingham, which wouldn’t be much of a problem if everyone attending Public Service Broadcasting’s show at Rock City had old fashioned paper tickets. Unfortunately, a combination of etickets and a rescheduled tour date results in a slow moving queue stretching down Talbot Street, and more than a few grumbles along the way.

These grumbles quickly disappear as, before the band are seen, a ‘Public Service Announcement’ is screened on stage-a tale of Ralph, a character who refrains from taking minute-long videos on his phone (blocking the view of other attendees) and talking throughout the show, and is congratulated for doing so. It’s, I’m sure most will agree, something every gig needs, and an appropriate start to this show.

It’s then straight into "Sputnik", the first of 7 songs from most recent album 'The Race For Space' in the set-list. There’s another 6 from 'Inform-Educate-Entertain', a couple from 'The War Room' and the stunning "Korolev". For this last song, we see the first appearance of a trio of brass instrumentalists who add an excellent extra dimension to the already spectacular stage show on more than one occasion (as well as some fabulous dance moves).

There’s a delay after "Dig For Victory" for technical reasons (it’s a testament to the band and tech team that this is the only time such difficulties become obvious), but the crowd are amused by an announcement declaring this from a familiar robotic voice, accompanied by music that wouldn’t be out of place accompanying Test Card F.

It’s easy to become completely absorbed in the lights and the sounds and the videos, but if you take a step back, you can take time to appreciate the massive amounts of work and talent that’s gone into producing this show. All the details-from the magnificent light display (care of designer Francis Clegg), the smoke, the background videos-are synced almost perfectly with the band.

Night Mail is a highlight of the set, the band building a wall of noise to shake Rock City. The chatter that normally fills the back bars throughout the concert dies out as the sound swells, all but the most intoxicated of the crowd entranced by the display in front of them, around them.

All I can hear as I leave Rock City (and all the way to the bar next door) is praise for the band, and for the show-their largest in the UK outside of London. This praise is well deserved, not just for the effort the band have gone into to create the show, but for the skill with which they pulled it off: helping an audience quickly forget about the cold and rain outside and become immersed in an amazing pairing of new music and historical media.

COMMENTS

• Emily Kyne
  Well worth the wait in the cold
• Emily Kyne
  Well worth the wait in the cold