Primal Scream, UndergroundLovers @The Forum, Melbourne(02/02/2011)

Sun 6th Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Recently reformed 90’s stalwarts Underground Lovers open with their patent mix of shoegaze dreamscapes and madchester grooves. Whilst all the members are visibly older than in their heyday, the potency of the music remains intact. A decent gathering has turned out to give support, enraptured by the relentless pace and dancehall groove of drummer Richard Andrew and the fuzzed out guitar work of Glenn Bennie. The majority of the band seem lost in moment, either riding the waves of rhythm or swaying to the melody, however singer Vincent Giarrusso seems at odds with himself. While his vocal style is one of clarity and effortless solace, his movements are strange and off-putting. It’s somewhat disconcerting having a slightly overweight man in his forties gyrating from the hips, and one has to wonder at the need to play air guitar when there are actual instruments laying around. The best moments visually are when he takes up a guitar, constraining his need to move in strange ways and boosting the soundscape all at once. The tempo is changed up as keyboardist Philippa Nihill takes over lead vocals and Bassist Maurice Argiro unconventionally plays his bass with a slide. The set closes out on a rising rendition of Your Eyes.

As much as I love Primal Scream, I’d never really understood the praise levelled at Screamadelica. Sure it has some good songs, but I’d take the twisted alternate soundtrack Vanishing Point or dark politicism of Xtrmntr over it any day. Well, after experiencing it live, I may have to reassess these judgments. Opening with Movin’ On Up, the stage bursts forth with an explosion of colour as psychedelic patterns form on screen spanning the entire back of stage. The scale of the band is immediately apparent, with a grandiose quality given to all parts, including a guest soul singer and saxophonist. Don’t Fight It Feel it is the first indication of why this album was such a landmark, with its intricate combination of live instrumentation, samples and loops, providing the consummate mating of acid house and psychedelic rock. It’s in a live capacity that this can really be appreciated though as it provides both the intoxicating repetition and danceability of house and the intimate connection of a band.

Bobby Gilespie is all style in a red silk shirt and tailored suit, whether he’s grooving along with maracas or strolling around stage microphone in hand there is no doubt that he could never have been anything else except a rock star. He’s the perfect frontman, always on the move, always watchable. Meanwhile the other cornerstone of the current lineup, Mani, formerly of The Stone Roses, providing the intoxicating rythmic drive along with drummer Darrin Mooney, couldn’t look happier with his current situation. He stops only briefly between songs to come out and say in a typical loutish way, “Fookin love this town.”

I’m Comin’ Down, with its gentle sax part, reminds of Dark Side Of The Moon as it tells of the flipside of the celebration. Shine Like Stars continues the downtempo look as astral plains play out in the background; Martin Duffy as ever providing the melodic centrepoint with his lustrous keys. Higher Than The Sun drops into the all out rave of Loaded, with lasers and strobe lights being unshackled and the entire floor erupting into a pit of writhing bodies. Come Together continues the feeling of jubilation to close out the set with its chant of, “Come Together as One” echoing through the room.

The band return to stage with Gilespie declaring in his impenetrable Scottish drawl that it was time for some rock n’ roll. Country Girl tinges the Rock n’ Roll with a hint of country to get the encore started before the raw blues rock of Jailbird and Rocks takes the night home. The crowd clambers for more and would have surely hang on for a second encore, had they not been drowned out by the house music.