Spiritualized - Koko, London - 20/5/08
4/5
By: Yousif Nur
One might be forgiven for thinking that someone who crows on about Amazing Grace, praises Jesus and has a Gospel backing choir might be a man of sacrosanct principles. And in some ways, Jason Pierce's reappearance is a little like the return of a saviour.
It seems that he's kicked death's proverbial behind after lying in a hospital bed fighting for dear life of late, resolutely not finished yet. We've his recent medical problems in mind, all of us, as he returns with a fantastic new album (Songs in A&E) and an appearance at Mornington Crescent's Koko venue.
As the lighting dims, but for a few singular beams of white light and ethereal backing music on stage, it's an eager, anticipating crowd. Union Chapel gigs aside, it's been a long wait for His Royal Spaceness for most of the adoring, yet focussed and notoriously tough London crowd. Once Pierce makes his appearance felt though, Spiritualized burst head-straight into 'You Lie You Cheat' from the new record, and it's like he's never been away.
As is to be expected, many of the songs tonight are from said new opus. The set is quite literally split down the middle. The first half is strictly A & E material, whereas it's the 'Come Together's, 'Lord Can You Hear Me's and other such familiarities in the second.
Everything is delivered as expected from Spiritualized, from the space-rock epics that don't let up with the overall other-worldly thematics to the backing choir, soulful in nature, going at it to heighten the euphoric, arm-stretched openenss of the tracks, making them that little bit more... epic. Jason is quiet and nonchalent throughout the night, save for the obligatory 'thank you' at the end of the set.
There's even room for a Spacemen 3 classic, 'Revolution', with its unrelenting one-chord attack, guitars strummed so furiously that the strings are still feeling the aftershock effect to this very moment in writing.
Though Spiritualized had performed a fair amount in the last twelve months, it only now felt like we had confirmation of the resurrection of a true maverick. It's death's loss and our gain as the Spacemen wanders on through the musical stratosphere - and long may he continue to do so.
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