Take Primal Scream’s Screamadelica – the seminal acid-house, soul, gospel and rock album, released in 1991 that has influenced countless bands that have
Take Primal Scream’s Screamadelica – the seminal acid-house, soul, gospel and rock album, released in 1991 that has influenced countless bands that have come since – add to it the gothic ambience of The Forum, some spectacular trippy visuals, the band who crafted that album Primal Scream and a hefty support act in Underground Lovers and you have a marketer’s wet dream. Playing albums from the past is not a new concept – check the Don’t Look Back series – but what constitutes success depends on an indefinable quality, which was in abundance tonight.
The Underground Lovers are belting out Your Eyes at full volume, priming the punters for the onslaught of Screamadelica played in its entirety.
A youthful, lithe Bobby Gillespie belies his years, clad in a black suit and red satin shirt, with flailing limbs and moves; he is still very much the rock god, crooning to Screamadelica opener Movin’ On Up with band mates bassist Mani, guitarist Andrew Innes, keyboardist Martin Duffy and a guest soul singer sharing vocal duties. The 13th Floor Elevators cover, Slip Inside This House follows and then it’s an explosive rendition of acid house inspired Don’t Fight, It Feel it with stupendous soul vocal, and ominous pulsing synthetic sound scapes, inspiring an en masse dance fest with the blue strobe light adding to an omnipresent sexually charged vibe.
So potent was the atmosphere, that I swear even the inanimate statue was impregnated. Then the mood changes with country tinged ballad Damaged offering some melancholy respite.
Popular singles Loaded and Come Together follow each other towards the end of the Screamadelica set. Country Girl opens the encore, and later Bobby invites us all "To get our rocks off" in a fitting closer to end a euphoric set. It’s no secret that the album is supposedly an acid trip from beginning to crescendo, and then all comes crashing down at the end, but tonight there is no crash and burn, and after the searing rendition of Rocks a brutal cacophony of electronic noise blares through the speakers at uneasy volume, all my senses have been satiated and I leave on a figurative high.
ANNA MEGALOGENIS
