ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN / PRIMAL SCREAM AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL 21/03/2013

Two weeks after seiing Ron Sexsmith, here I was back at the Royal Albert Hall to see Primal Scream playing within the Teenage Cancer Trust week of gigs curated this year by Noel Gallagher. To tell the truth I wasn't planning on going at first but the addition of Echo and the Bunnymen as the opening act convinced me to buy a ticket (not cheap by the way, 45 pounds for a seat right at the top of the arena, no standing tickets left by the time I had made up my mind). The gig was advertised with at 7.30pm starting time and bang on schedule Echo and the Bunnymen took the stage. Playing half the show in semi darkness (didn't manage to catch a glimpse of Will Sergeant face for the whole gig), the band stuck to the tried and tested with tracks from their 80's heyday with only one song from there reformation period ("Nothing lasts Forever" from their 1997 comeback album "Evergreen"). Mcculloch' s singing was impeccable and the band the epitome of tightness. I'm a big fan of their second period so I don't mind the slight rearranging of their 80's song in a more classic rock way but some fans might miss the "post-punk" edge that the Les Pattison-Pete de Freitas rhythm section. I'll never understand why they're not held in higher esteem when you see how many great songs they've written ("Back of Love, "The Cutter", "Killing Moon", "Lips like Sugar", "Seven Seas" anf the list goes on..). They played for just over an hour, leaving the stage at 8.30. A short break for setting Primal Scream was followed by a short speech by Noel Gallagher thanking both bands for playing that night.

I had seen Primal Scream only once prior to this gig in 2005 at the transmusicales festival in Rennes. They were going to release Riot City Blues album and had Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine on rhythm guitar. The show was fantastic (especially after a dismal performance by The Brianjonestown Massacre) and the tunes from the new record settled in nicely with the old favourites  ("Movin on up", " Swastika Eyes", "Jailbird"). The show at the Royal Albert Hall was also good but the the tunes from their forthcoming album "More Light" paled in comparison to the older numbers. New bass player Simone Butler is good but filling Mani's shoes is a tough job. Bobby Gillespie was his usual self, running from one of the stage to the other (I wonder how many miles he does each night). High point was a fantastic version of the bluesy ballad "Damaged" off Screamadelica. The show would have benefited of being slightly shorter but overall a good performance from the former Glaswegian rockers.