PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
VENUE THE TROXY, LONDON DATE 13/10/2022
It’s an interesting crowd that’s come to see Public Service Broadcasting in east London’s The Troxy for a night of art-rock in an Art Deco theatre. The band’s music taps into 1980s synthwave, laced with a strong streak of British nostalgia in their use of sound samples from public information films dating back to the 1940s, and that might explain the age range of the audience. There are seniors for whom songs about Spitfires and the Blitz may tickle their cockles; there’s a contingent for whom the synthwave vibes will remind them of their youth, and perhaps the London hipsters are here for the retro appeal.
The musicians – J Willgoose Esq on guitar and keys, drummer Wigglesworth, JF Abraham on bass and flugelhorn, and Mr B on keys – are arranged in a loose semi-circle that allows Wigglesworth, stage right, to maintain eye contact with bandleader Willgoose on stage left. They are joined on occasion throughout the evening by Berlin-based vocalist EERA, and a trio of horn players. EERA’s singing brings a warmth and passion that contrasts pleasantly against the more dissociated feel of the sound samples, and the horn section is an ace in the deck for the performance. While the members of Public Service Broadcasting tend to stay in their assigned spots onstage, resolutely focused on their playing, the horn section comes out front to dance, lead the audience in clapping along, and generally make the gig feel like a party.
The Troxy performance marks the 11th night of the autumn leg of their Bright Magic tour and the band seem confident and at ease onstage, everything timed perfectly as the music locks in with the impressive audio-visual show on the backdrop behind them. They ease the audience into the proceedings, starting with The Visitor from last year’s Bright Magic, which opens with a low throb from the keys, slowly building up as the band come in. They continue to showcase new material with Im Licht and Der Rhythmus Der Maschinen, changing pace with The Pit from 2017’s Every Valley. They really get going with Progress and People Will Always Need Coal, the latter generating the loudest applause thus far.
Sections of the crowd seem a little disengaged during the subdued Lichtspiel III: Symphonie Diagonale, and there’s a lot of background chatter; fortunately, Spitfire grabs everyone’s fullest attention again, and Go! – clearly a fan favourite – closes the main set. The highlight of the encores is Gagarin, bolstered by funky horns, before they wrap with Everest which, despite the subject matter, can’t quite top the peak of Gagarin. It’s impressive to see a band playing unconventional, progressive music pulling in such a diverse audience and there’s no doubt everyone, whatever age, went home happy tonight.
“IT’S IMPRESSIVE TO SEE A BAND PLAYING UNCONVENTIONAL MUSIC PULLING IN SUCH A DIVERSE AUDIENCE.”