Public Service Broadcasting at Albert Hall in Manchester review

Image: Public Service Broadcasting

There really is no-one else out there quite like Public Service Broadcasting. The corduroy clad brainchild of London-based J.Willgoose, Esq. who, along with his drumming companion Wrigglesworth, are on a mission to inform, educate and entertain audiences around the globe. 

Every now and then, there comes along a band that you can’t really imagine playing live and, initially, Public Service Broadcasting fell into that category. A mysterious and intriguing mixture of historic audio samples, a diverse electronic accompaniment and a few infectious banjo-led grooves - how on earth would such a thing go down in a live arena?

The answer: better than anyone could have ever imagined.

Kicking off Manchester Science Festival, the duo played to a sold out crowd at the Albert Hall accompanied by guests from the Royal Northern College of Music. In place of a supporting act, they had a Q&A session with Professor Tim O’Brien and Willgoose. 

Following this, PSB took to the stage to take the audience through nine-track album The Race for Space, their retro-futuristic sound which tells the story of the Astronomical exploration undertook by the Americans and Russians in the years 1957 to 1972, using archive footage from key moments.

Beyond the music video footage from the era was shown on big screens, with stacks of old cathode-ray TV sets at the sides of the stage. Not to mention the replica Sputnik that rose above the band, complete with distinctly more flashy LED displays than the original Soviet satellite.

As the lights dimmed, a public information film of their own making began to play, advising the crowd to be considerate of others and not to abuse the recording capabilities of cameras and smartphones. It was a welcome and comical way to kick things off and prepared the audience for what was to follow.

After a wonderful rendition of ‘The Race For Space’ by the Royal Northern College of Music, PSB kicked things off with a slow building then emphatic ‘Sputnik’ (listen above).

On the screens, just as ‘Sputnik’ is pulsating towards its electronic peak, drummer Wrigglesworth hammers out the final two minutes. The track then goes from a slow building dance epic to an alternative rock crusher in a matter of seconds, almost catching the crowd off guard. From that moment on, it becomes apparent that Public Service Broacasting’s live show is like nothing else.

What was most impressive throughout the night was that PSB let their music do the talking. Where some bands would take time to explain the subject matter and purpose behind each song, here the songs themselves would often tell the story without the need for any description. 

‘The Other Side’, illustrated this perfectly.  Reporting the first manned spaceflight to fully orbit the Moon, the instrumentation was brought down as the shuttle disappeared behind the Moon and out of radio contact. We waited, plunged into silence and darkness, before guitars, drums, and lights signalled the return of the shuttle and a blissfully intense ending.

Midway through the set, the band is joined on stage with the vocalists, Smoke Fairies, in order to reprise their appearance on album track ‘Valentina’. The song provided a pleasing turn of pace amidst the lively and occasionally frantic material that PSB specialise in.

Other highlights included fan favourites ‘Gagarin’, ‘Go’ (listen above) and also ‘Fire in the Cockpit’ which is based upon the Apollo 1 disaster of 1967.

As the final rousing conclusion of the album faded away, the computer could be heard one last time. “Thank you very, very, very, very, very much.” No, Public Service Broadcasting, thank you very much.  Consider us well and truly informed, educated and, above all, entertained.

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