The Last Flight Shines When it Lands in Edinburgh

★★★★★ (5/5)

This small, personal gig saw Public Service Broadcasting share tracks from the new ‘The Last Flight’ album with some of their die-hard fans who had pre-ordered the record from Assai. The album uses the mix of historical media, music and lyrics that PSB are masters of and is based on the story of aviator, Amelia Earhart’s round the world flight which ended in her unexplained disappearance. Although the Album shares the band’s DNA, it feels like an evolution from their more industrial and male focused past. It’s softer, more voice based with beautiful vocals from Kate Stables and long term collaborator, musician EERA. The Album is the aural equivalent of a biopic, pulling us into Amelia’s world.

There was real expectation in the room as the packed crowd restlessly prepared for the band’s entrance. They took to the tiny stage with no ceremony, led on by J. Willgoose, Esq. guitarist and technical wizard, followed by drummer Wrigglesworth, J F Abraham, flugelhorn player and bass guitarist, keyboard player and designer Mr B plus vocalist EERA.

The set opened with the upbeat ‘Toward’s the Dawn’. A song full of positivity filling this small space. The sound quality was perfect and the music immersive and enthralling.

The Band followed up with seven further tracks from the new album. The slow techno ‘Electra’ – much heavier live and guitar driven, passion filled ‘Monsoons’ and the epic, trippy ‘Howland’ being favourites of the enchanted crowd. The songs fronted by EERA, like ‘The Fun of It’ and the beautiful ‘A Different Kind of Love’ were impactful, personal and captivating.

The band finished with their ‘Greatest Hits’ much to the delight of the audience. The gritty ‘Night Mail’, the superb ‘Spitfire from ‘Inform-Educate-Entertain’ – who doesn’t want to hear. ‘Go!’ from ‘The Race for Space’? The EERA fronted alt-Kraftwerk of ‘People Let’s Dance’ had the crowd grooving and the tech-music masterclass of ‘Everest’ finished off the evening.

This was an amazing experienced. The tight room made the night more intimate and vivid, the audience was absorbed into the incredible musical world with layer upon layer woven together by the craft of these amazing musicians.

Go and see Public Service Broadcasting if you can, their music is a pleasure to listen to and the bookish band members knitting together the soundscapes live is amazing to experience. Mr Willgoose hinted at another visit to Edinburgh in the near future.

I think the words of ‘Towards the Dawn’ could be a PSB mantra ‘I do it because I want to, I do it for the fun of it’. The band seemed to have fun, the audience certainly did.