[ originally published 11/12/2015 ]
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
Y Plas, Cardiff University - 27th November 2015
Support: François And The Atlas Mountains
Y Plas is Cardiff Uni's nightclub. It used to be called Solus and we saw The Joy Formidable there a few years ago. Since then it has undergone a radical refurbishment and now looks like a hipster bar. It doesn't look like a place for gigs other than the large stage. It doesn't feel much like a gig venue either. If the support band was anything to go by, it also doesn't sound like a gig venue. They were bloody terrible, but I'm not sure how much of that was the venue or the band themselves. They were tuneless and directionless. They reminded me of Vampire Weekend; I hate Vampire Weekend.
Not the greatest of starts, but Public Service Broadcasting have never disappointed. MrsRobster and I have seen them twice before, but never in a venue this size. They've certainly grown in stature since their second album - the brilliant 'The Race For Space' - was released. Their live show was always impressive, even in tiny venues in front of a couple hundred people. The visuals that help tell the stories of their songs remain, but now everything seems to have been upscaled. Even the band line-up has been expanded. As well as J. Willgoose Esq., Wrigglesworth and their trusty visuals engineer Mr B, they are now joined by multi-instrumentalist J. F. Abraham and a three-piece brass section. Bigger venues afford more room on stage, therefore the luxury of being able to make the songs more 'live'.
The new material is stunning. The tension in tracks like The Other Side is played out really effectively, while Go! is the band's first bonafide singlalong track, the audience punching the air and chanting "Go!" throughout the chorus. Not bad for a band with no vocalist! Of course, the old faves were churned out too, but Signal 30, Everest, Spitfire and the others all now benefit from the enhanced live sound. Gagarin saw the brass players enjoy a few funky dance steps while a 'spaceman' boogied behind the drumkit. Willgoose's robotic banter with the crowd elicited many a chuckle. For a couple of nerds who love history and electronic music, Public Service Broadcasting are a surprisingly brilliant rock and roll band. The bigger spaces clearly do not intimidate them, they seem to relish it, and better still they pull it off, even if Y Plas isn't really the best place to be as an audience member.
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