Ahhh! PSB's RFS! A delightfully indulgent soundscape of melodic wonder, performed here on its 10th (ish) anniversary. Is it really nostalgia if an album is only a decade old? It feels like it has been in the air forever.
For something which is seemingly made up of samples, it would have been easy for them to half-arse it and basically just play the CD. Instead we got a full band, guest singers, and 360° video projection,
Oh, also a disco Sputnik flying over the crowd!
Simply magical! As were the indoor fireworks.
I might quibble a little with their song choices (no Gagarin!) but hearing the crowd repeatedly scream "GO!" was magnificent.
Ally Pally isn't a raked venue, so the video projection of the band was most welcome. An excellent gig in a splendid location.
Pre-show and Post-show
As I've written about before, the art of the Pre-Show and Post-Show is vital for getting people to pay for events outside of their homes. Right now I can stream all the music in the world for a year for about the same price as a couple of gig tickets. Why should I freeze my arse off outside, paying stupid money for mass-produced lager, when I could be at home?
PSB kept up a constant stream of emails talking about the gig. Not an overwhelming amount, just letting people peek behind the curtain of organising it, giving helpful information about logistics, and letting us know about merchandise which was available.
Crucially, they also gave us stage timings for them and their support act! How many times have you turned up on time to a gig only to spend an hour listening to some crap DJ before the crew even started setting up the stage? PSB treat their fans with respect.
Ally Pally isn't a venue I've been to before. It was well laid out with decent toilet provision - including a big block of portaloos at the back of the hall. The beer prices weren't ruinous, but I kind of resented paying £15 for a veggie hotdog and a handful of chips.
Some venues seem to think that screaming at punters to open their bags will make for an enjoyable visit. Here the security staff were polite and not overly officious. Water bottles were allowed in with a cheery wave.
Post show - although the train stations are downhill, there were several buses waiting to take punters directly back. That's a perfect way of treating guests at your venue - ensuring that they get home safe and sound.
7 thoughts on “Gig Review: Public Service Broadcasting's Race For Space at Alexandra Palace”
Ersatz Dinchon
They did play Gagarin, just not in the order of the album ...
Very jealous
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Did you stay for the encore? They played Gagarin at the end, because they always play a People Let’s Dance / Gagarin medley.
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I think I’d probably give it the same rating. It was nice to finally see the RFS deep cuts live, but I was really hoping for some London love for The War Room.
Also, as my first visit to Ally Pally, I thought it made a superb venue. The sound system was top notch.
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Russell Franks
I would respectively say if you are going to blog about a gig, you really should stay to the end.
The encore set was spectacular. The People, Let's Dance / Gagarin medley. Everest (with "snow" confetti showering the front rows). And finally a joyous cover of "Whole of the Moon", with huge inflatable moons bouncing around the crowd, and everyone back on stage, including Hamish Hawk who was a million miles from a "crap DJ". If you missed him too, your loss! A perfect support act.
A solid 5/5 for me. Genuinely one of the best gig experiences I can remember.
Yeah, that's fair. I was knackered and was worried about catching the train back. Gutted I missed it.
I did enjoy Hamish Hawk 🙂
@blog Great gig! They did play Gagarin, of course, just near the end of the show, rather than in sequence.
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