Spiritualized’s Pure Phase remains a transcendent masterpiece. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Jason Pierce and his band delivered a spellbinding, immersive performance at Glasgow Royal Theatre.
Tonight, at the resplendent Glasgow Royal Theatre, Spiritualized celebrated 30 years of Pure Phase. Pure Phase has always been an intriguing entry in Spiritualized excellent discography. Their second record, received good reviews but perhaps flew under the radar slightly. An album that merges blues, drone rock, psychedelia, ambient, gospel to a truly devasting effect along with raw songwriting. It was probably out of place in the laddish straightforward 90s Britpop scene. Tonight, the full count of musicians required to bring this spaced out opera to life is 13; including backing singers, guitar, bass, violin, cello a drummer, a brass section and keyboards and of course Spiritualized himself, Jason Pierce. The sound is lush, with the distortion of the guitars, the power of the bass and drums complete with delicate flutes and soulful backing vocals. A back drop of an illuminated revolving moon and an excellent light display really adds to the theatre.
As this is first night of this anniversary tour some of these songs are played live for the first time ever. The album is played in order and therefore, Medication sets the scene 8 minutes of barrelling fuzz rock. A peon to highs and lows of addiction with its lyrics “makes me feel so good, leaves me fucked up since”. Followed by These Blues which has a rollicking battering bass riff with slide guitar jams out feel good vibes over the top, it pulses with pure energy. While, Let It Flow is made transcendent by its combination of gospel backing vocals and an incredible cathartic drop.
Throughout the show Jason Pierce, leader of Spiritualized, stands side on to the crowd, his voice sounds tender and delicate conveying a vulnerability to the music but still able to drive the songs forward. Particularly, on the contemplative and tender Spread Your Wings. The album takes on a variety of moods. Lay Back in the Sun is a feel good ode with its blissed out refrain “good dope, good fun”. Then the amped up full on psych freak out of Good Times is followed by the ambient comedown of Pure Phase.
No one in the crowd minds that the show is 30 minutes longer than the album. The audience give a standing ovation for the main set and for the encore of Cop Shoot Cop, the sole song not from Pure Phase. This is a fitting ending to the evening, with the 20 minute song going from funky gospel piano to a flood of distorted white noise and back (and back again) to a otherworldly effect.
Words: Ben Lamont @badphotosfromgoodgigs
Pictures: Reanne McArthur @reanne.photography