Spiritualized, Mandela Hall
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Spiritualized
Mandela Hall, Belfast
23 March 2012
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Weird one, this. Postponed shows and delayed release dates mean Spiritualized are performing an album none of us have heard. Furthermore, they're one of those bands who haven't really added to their (faithful) fan base in years - the majority of punters at the tonight will have seen this band before, possibly many times, possibly at the height of their fame at the turn of the century.
Will we have the patience to take all this new stuff on or end up pining for familiarity? We find out pretty early as the band, refusing to ease us in gently, open with ten minute long new single 'Hey Jane'. It's a microcosm of the gig as singer Jason Pierce, shaded, stage right and avoiding eye contact as always bleeds through relentless strobe lights, building drone and layered riffola to his hearts content. Crucially, the track doesn't drag.
'Lord Let it Rain on Me' and 'She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit)' seem like pop songs in comparison but it takes a trip to classic album 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space' to get the biggest response. 'Stay with Me' and the title track have both aged beautifully, even working with a 7-piece band - a sparse line up compared to the gospel choirs and multiple instrumentalists Pierce was touring with back in the day. That said, the stripped down approach means we miss out on special moments from the bands back catalogue - namely lost classics from 'Let it Come Down' and the first two albums - but perhaps that's the point.
The thing is, these new songs are shining. 'Mary' and 'So Long You Pretty Things' in particular, both hitting the sweet spot between the kitchen sink orchestral pop of the aforementioned classic and the raw, garage rock stylings of Spiritualized in the 21st century. It bodes well. Then, as a treat for welcoming the unknown, the encore is familiar - 'Electricity' and 'Cop Shoot Cop' take us home with further strobes, volume and indulgence.
So yes, a weird one. The real highlights are tracks now approaching their 15th birthday yet we're still left excited about the immediate future. He's not out of drones or heartbreak just yet.
Rigsy
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