Primal Scream arrived on stage under the gaze of Edinburgh Castle at a very dreechie Auld Reekie after a successful year-long tour of their 20 year old album Screamadelica.
The band who had played a legendary homecoming gig at the Barrowlands the night before, were now headlining the most televised Hogmanay Party in the world. Would they be tired or blasé about this gig given the cracking performance in Glasgow the night before and this signaling the end of the current tour and line-up ?
In a word, No. The band seemed in great form with Mani comically wiping a tear away from his eye for the audience as he stepped up one last time before leaving to live the dream with The Stone Roses.
I have seen Primal Scream four times and each time I come away feeling like these guys love their work. Tonight again they did not disappoint or miss a beat from Bobby’s opening question of “Ready to move on up?” to the closing Stones–esque ‘Rocks’, the crowd were behind them and shimmying along. He was the red shirted pied piper to many of the pie-eyed amongst us, who sung and swung along with him. As a backdrop the video wall set the psychedelic scene of colourfully kaleidoscopic art work, with the light show splitting the rain soaked skies.
Into the second song and glow-sticks were out in force for ‘Slip Inside This House’. Mary Pearce, their ballsy backing vocalist was introduced by Bobby as “Soul Sister number one” and had we a roof, she’d have raised it off with the dance-inducing ‘Don’t Fight It, Feel It’. Bobby duetted with her and encouraged the crowd to sing along, which despite the inclement weather they did whole-heartedly. Damaged was well received and as the Auld Lang Syne time fast approached, Mr Gillespie kept us on time by informing “ten minutes to the bells so we better get there fast.”
‘Accelerator’ took us into ‘Shoot Speed/Kill Light’ with a “Danke Schoen” from Bobby and the first half was done.
A very chuffed wee couple of competition winners, John and Leslie, pushed the plunger down to set off the 5.5 tonnes of fireworks and we were into the New Year, singing, snogging, tears and snotters, 80,000 revelers giving it lots of ooohs and aaahs sharing the view of the amazing fireworks set against historic Scotland’s capital city and as they came to an end the Scream were back with us.
A “We want to get deep, Happy New Year you Motherfuckers” and Bobby invited the rest of us who were not quite there yet to get ‘Loaded’. On came the rain again, but this did little to dampen the dancing and enthusiasm shown for ‘Come Together’ and a treat of ‘Swastika Eyes’. The last three songs would have ensured that no one went home disappointed ‘Country Girl’, ‘Jailbird’ and the hip-shaking gesticulation of ‘Rocks’ ended tremendous set from a much respected band. Mani and Andrew threw their plectrums to grateful fans and Bobby tossed his tambourine into the crowd, craftily caught by a much taller younger youth who grabbed this inches from me, and as he disappeared under an impromptu rugby scrum, I wondered if he ever had Screamadelica on LP or even cassette ….or had been conceived in 1991 ? (how retro I know).
I thought the Screamadelica album was the one to have at the time. I had the t-shirt, the art work on the sleeve was seen everywhere, loved listening to the mix of psychedelic influences, of house music and the classic soul inspired tracks. It was a soundtrack to life then. Back then it was played at every credible party or student union night and by the looks of the mix in the crowd tonight it still is.
Happy New Year Primal Scream, I will come back and hear your new music later this year, and meanwhile I am off to watch Mani relive his Stone Roses days and bring more joy to many who shared the crowd with me tonight.
News: 3.1.12: Confirmation that Mani’s replacement is to be the ex-Ocean Colour Scene bassist Damon Minchella.
Setlist
Moving On Up – Screamadelica
Slip Inside this House – Screamadelica
Don’t fight it, feel it – Screamadelica
Damaged – Screamadelica
Accelerator – XTRMNTR
Shoot Speed /Kill Light – XTRMNTR
Loaded – Screamadelica
Come Together – Screamadelica
Swastika Eyes – XTRMNTR
Country Girl – Riot City Blues
Jailbird – Give Out But Don’t Give Up
Rocks – Give Out But Don’t Give Up