Image by Murron Gallagher
The beautiful O2 Academy in Laurieston let Glasgow legends Primal Scream raise its roof on Friday night- twenty years after their last performance in this venue. Surrounded by fans both old and new, it’s clear that Bobby Gillespie has still got it after 42 years with Primal Scream.
Image by Murron Gallagher
The set kicked off with the alternative dance track Don’t Fight it, Feel it, and we knew straight away that they were going to bring it. The stage saw the band decked out in black glitzy outfits until the main man swaggered on in his monochrome suit, to a sea of cheering gig-goers. One aspect of this performance that really took my fancy was their use of visuals, with a large white projection cloth upstage- they flawlessly accompanied these tracks with striking displays and movies that perfectly captured the essence of each song. Jailbird was another highlight for me, it’s difficult to hear that track without at least tapping a toe- and the audience understood the assignment, gesturing in unison and dancing away to this country-style rock belter.
Image by Murron Gallagher
The backing vocalists Martha Evans and Roslyn Adonteng aced it throughout, with choral singing being an important part of the Primal Scream brand- these incredibly talented women did not disappoint. After the mayhem that was back-to-back upbeat dance tracks, we were lulled (and had some cooldown time) with a slower section, including songs like Stay With Me from their 2013 album More Light. Gillespie expressed how good it was to be back in Glasgow, the response that comes from a Scottish crowd is always highly renowned- especially when the artist is also Scottish.
They then dimmed the stage to moody hues of blue and red to make way and build some suspense for their world-famous track Loaded from Screamadelica, and of course, the crowd went wild. Following on from this we saw the recognisable Screamadelica emblem proudly projected behind the band for Movin’ On Up and Come Together. Come Together is such a beautiful number, and everyone in attendance sang along- a lovely moment for Scream fans in Glasgow.
Image by Murron Gallagher
The band closed with Rocks– arguably one of Primal Scream’s most recognisable tunes, and the place erupted. 2,500 people shaking their tail feathers with Scottish legends was a perfect way to round off this 2-hour set. Gillespie’s last words to the crowd were “See you tomorrow night”, for night 2 of this chaos.
All in all, Primal Scream proved that their energy, style, and spirit are as strong as ever. From psychedelic visuals to powerhouse vocals and genre-spanning tracks, they delivered a show that felt like both a celebration and a homecoming. For a band over four decades into their career, they still know exactly how to electrify a crowd—and Glasgow gave that love right back. If night two was anything like this one, those lucky enough to have tickets were in for something truly special.