Review: Public service Broadcasting @ Bristol Beacon
By Amelie Daisy Ophelia , Music Sub-Editor
Ornate architecture, sprawling seats and ceilings stretching to the heavens - the Bristol Beacon. Set out like a theatre, the Bristol beacon is very much a concert hall made for the likes of Philharmonic orchestras, with cascading levels of seats made for quiet contemplation. To fill this giant of architecture is an impressive feat and requires a certain level of theatricality and the right aux cord, the later of which Public Service Broadcasting seem to have misplaced.
Halo Maud's alternative approach to sound, results in a synth heavy, overlaying rich style. Feeling like a futuristic manifestation of waveform, Halo Maud is calming but sway inducing.
Dressed to the nines, Halo Maud really captures the eye with her huge princess sleeve capped dress, the embossed bright lines set on black, drawing your eyes. Her hair set in a space-age style that feeds symbiotically into the sound of her music.
As far as the genre Baroque psych-pop goes, Halo Mauds latest album 'Celebrate' perfectly characterises and progresses the genre. With a trance-like bass induced quality, there is a subconscious notion behind her sounds that speaks to the idea of embracing the collective within the room.
Halo Maud is fresh, relaxed and perfect for calm mornings and silly nights.
With a behemoth set, constructed to look like the cockpit of Amelia Earhart's notorious craft, and triumphant recordings of Earhart herself playing across various screens, Public Service Broadcast take full advantage of the opportunity for theatricality. The set looks resplendent and the dress impeccable, clad in what is reminiscent of world war military work attire, aesthetically they don't miss a beat.
They open with a broadcast (obviously) and I am weirdly brought back to the nostalgia of an aquarium film introductory video. Through the speaker a commanding voice projects across the thirteen hundred pairs of eyes staring eagerly at the stage, building the tension. 'Welcome, get ready, please enjoy' - hollers through to us... 'but please don't watch the gig through the screen on your phone, you won't watch those crappy quality videos '. Whilst I do admire the idealistic notion of living in the moment, it made it very difficult to get photos for this very article.
What struck me aside from the obvious joy, guitarist J Willgoose, Esq took from the lengthy guitar solos was how similar the live version was to the recorded versions. Remarkably similar, the quality of the sound system was immense, with continually more and more musicians joining the stage, Public Service Broadcasting seem to have taken up an LCD Soundsystem approach to the size of the band. This and the sophistication of the sound system is quiet possibly what lead to their downfall.
The fourth song sounds, it's 'People will always need coal' a poignant telling of the coal mining industry in Wales, in the 1980s. And then it all stops. It all stops with the exception of guitar hammed up on so much reverb its synthetic sounding. Is this part of it? Maybe I haven't listened to the song well enough? - I immediately dismissed the thought based on the sheer absurdity.
The Soundsystem takes what we all assume is its final shaky electronica breath, and then goes dead. Various crew and technicians run on and off, and then again. For fifteen tense minutes they perform CPR on whichever of the thousand and one instruments has blown the system. And then ... there on again, bouncing straight back with a level of professionalism that only comes from years of practise. Ironically the next song was 'Progress'.
Playing blissfuly uninterrupted, we get the brilliant construction of sound that is 'The south Atlantic', one of my personal favourites. Continuing the narrative surround Earhart, the song doesn't fail to impress.
And another two songs and then the sound system collapses again, this time it's flatlining for twenty-five minutes. The crowd seem to be struggling with the continual breaks and there is a building tetchy atmosphere, that when they finally return doesn't seem to completely dissipate.
Demographically incredibly middle aged, with an age range 45-50 the energy in the room was at a Gin and tonic on a Sunday. With a wide demographics in followers, one wonders if choosing the Bristol Beacon priced out the younger listeners. I would be interested to see the band playing a more intimate venue with a different crowd. Especially if that means not having the 50 year old man stood behind me continually cough spittle into the back of my head.
Of course I could not leave off mentioning 'GO!', my all time favourite song from the band. Exceptionally exciting with a great premise, calm but exciting enough I have it set as my alarm clock, I would recommend if not any other listening to 'Go!'
Feature Image: Amelie PetersWhat's your opinion on the premise of the new album?