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Primal Scream
supported by Andrew Weatherall and Cashier No. 9
Friday 19th of August 2011

Describe in a Tweet: What’s the right word... joyous or joyful?

What happened: Anticipation was getting feverish until the main act took the stage. Tonight was Belfast’s turn to get the Screamadelica treatment as the band tour the album that made them massive (and the maiden Mercury Music Prize winner),Ìý20 years after it was released. Out they strode with Bobby Gillespie, as thin as his own shadow, asking the crowd if they were ready to hear him testify... they were.

Opening with the album’s first track, ‘Movin’ On Up’, the band took no time at all to find their feet. Assured as you’d expect from such veterans they hammered through most of the classic album to a crowd determined to enjoy themselves. There was a bit of a lull in enthusiasm as the trippy ‘I’m Coming Down’ sort of washed over the crowd but it wasn’t long before the sax riff from ‘Higher Than the Sun’ was transporting a few people back to a different place and time.

Not long after, they broke into ‘Loaded’ which had a reaction best described as ‘berserk’. And soon, arms were aloft with ‘Come Together’ ringing out and the band seemed genuinely touched as the Belsonic crowd’s own extended a cappella choruses were sung in a blissful refrain back to them. Rounding the set off with some more Scream singalongs, ‘Country Girl’ and ‘the big riffing ‘Rocks’ were a fitting end to a great gig.

Movin' On Up: Watching a massive age range of people getting their rocks off to tunes which sound as good as they did 20 years ago.

Damaged: No real complaints to take home after this gig... although Bobby Gillespie’s suit was awful!

Belsonic Rating: 8/10