Spiritualized

Royal Albert Hall,

London

11/10/2011

Fourteen years and one day after his legendary post-‘Ladies & Gentlemen…’ performance in this hallowed space, J. Spaceman is back at the Albert Hall. And he’s looking forward. He’s sat to the far right of the stage, in sunglasses, and doesn’t say a word all evening, instead occasionally standing to applaud both his enormous band and the crowd for turning up and for being patient. This is, after all, a new album showcase.

Opener ‘Hey Jane’ is thrilling – a composite of the band’s whole career in one song. It builds up to a catchy refrain, psych wig-out, then dissipates into organ – for the first of many times tonight, the audience cheer, mistaking it for the start of ‘Think I’m In Love’ – before kicking back in again, with full choir and orchestra. It’s absolutely glorious. Jason claims the new album is a result of him ‘embracing’ his poppier urges, and tunes like the Motown ‘Little Girl’ are pure, delightful cheese. You could imagine it being sung by post-eyepatch Gabrielle on Top of The Pops. Someone in the pit shouts “TURN IT UP!” Instead, there are traditional song structures, Christmas single strings, and classic, louche, almost Bacharachian ballads like ‘Freedom’.

Lyrically, Jason is still walking the profound/trite tightrope. Lines like “Take the long way home past the scary jesus” nearly send him falling to earth, but it works because Pierce is honest and heartfelt, and this shines through even when articulacy fails him. It’s still the big themes – love, death, religion, but with references to the fourth Spiritualized trope – drugs – notable by their absence. Encores come, and the audience revels in their familiarity, applauding – correctly this time – the beginning of ‘Shine A Light’, stars in their eyes style. ‘Oh Happy Day’ sends everyone home with rapture in their hearts. It’s good to see you back on your game, Spaceman.

James Walsh