Where: Leamington Spa
Venue: The Assembly
Spiritualized only had a handful of shows planned for 2011, this being the second and warm up for tonight's (October 11th) show at The Royal Albert Hall in London, which i believe is a sell out. This show was not a sell out. It wasn't crowded, it was no way near filled up at the front and the venue didn't make use of the above standing.
They started off with a number of new songs, 75% of the show was the band showcasing new material. I did like the first few tracks, they reminded me of early Spiritualized, very droney and long pieces of Noise. The majority of the show all 6 members were on stage, with 2 gospel singers appearing for several of the new tracks and Amazing Grace period songs.
Venue: The Assembly
Spiritualized only had a handful of shows planned for 2011, this being the second and warm up for tonight's (October 11th) show at The Royal Albert Hall in London, which i believe is a sell out. This show was not a sell out. It wasn't crowded, it was no way near filled up at the front and the venue didn't make use of the above standing.
They started off with a number of new songs, 75% of the show was the band showcasing new material. I did like the first few tracks, they reminded me of early Spiritualized, very droney and long pieces of Noise. The majority of the show all 6 members were on stage, with 2 gospel singers appearing for several of the new tracks and Amazing Grace period songs.
A few songs grabbed my attention, such as the song entitled Mary. This had a very clear vocal which, for this show, was unusual as Jason wasn't his best in terms of delivery. Wont Get To Heaven, from Let It Come Down, was thunderous and lasted far beyond the studio 10 minutes. The vocal work was fantastic and the harmonies from the singers were used to great effect. Nothing felt special as the attendance was no more than 500 (At least it felt this way). For the size of band and the capacity of The Assembly, this was very poor.
Everything lacked character, Jason had his chair in the corner with his mini torch so he could read his own lyrics. Whilst the other members were spread out in usual fashion. The new album will most likely be very similar to Songs In A&E, with a bigger emphasis on sound. The guitar work was extraordinary, using the slide guitar on many occasions.
The whole 'Encore' annoyed the shit out of me, some random drunk prick was shouting something which i couldn't even understand, the respectful 28 year old audience were ready to leave, peoples wives were in a state of shock and the band showed little care about the whole situation. This aside, the final 5 or so tracks were very good and very loud. Noting the Spacemen 3 song Take Me To The Other Side as the best and most rewarding song from the show. This song lasted just about 8 minutes and was just glory. Being a big fan of Spacemen 3 i enjoyed the inclusion of this song. The lack of Ladies & Gentlemen We're Floating Into Space was rather frustrating, but they're still a studio band so i don't blame them for wanting to play newer music.
Oh Happy Day ended the show, with the recurring theme of God, Jesus and Soul all stuck in my mind. I don't mind, i respect the band, i enjoy the music. It ended rather well, as they use this song to end many shows so i expected no Come Together closer. The new material was well received and liked by the audience and myself.
The venue couldn't be in a nicer location, i think Leamington Spa is a beautiful place and the venue looks absolutely amazing from the inside, I'm not surprised it won the 2010 Live Music Venue of the Year award. The staff were very friendly and the drinks were priced fairly. I will be returning in the near future, most possibly for Adam Ant and for Bellowhead.