Primal Scream all-nighter in Brixton

18th October 2004

Last night I completed a hat-trick of Primal Scream gigs at London’s vast Brixton Academy. I first saw them there in 2000, then again in 2002, and now once more in 2004.

The Scream rock live like few other bands, creating an intoxicatingly loud wall of noise that punctures your head and implodes it.

Supported by the ever-interesting (and on this occasion “well up for it”) Spiritualized, plus guests Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and introduced by top stunner Kate Moss, I can safely say that this gig sailed into my top-five-gigs-ever list, and was a welcome way to celebrate the end of a week of intense flu.

Emma and I also met Jarvis Cocker, who was very nice indeed, mingling with the minions in the main arena. We also bumped into the tall chap from BBC’s Little Britain. He was very tall.

When Primal Scream finally came on stage at 12.30am, they bashed out a tonne of top records, including plenty of stuff from the XTRMNTR and Give Out But Don’t Give Up albums, but very little from brilliant “shagging soundtrack” Screamadelica. Maelstrom of the night had to be a blitzkreig version of Swastika Eyes, which pummelled every nerve in my body as I soaked it up from the front row. Top-notch. Age-old collaborator Andrew Weatherall also played a trippy DJ set inbetween the acts.

They might well be old men now, but I insist you go see Primal Scream if you never have. Genuine rock ‘n roll is hard to come by these days, but these blokes prove it’s still possible to destroy four-thousand people with guitars, drums and a little political vitriol. Bloody fantastic…

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