Public Service Broadcasting

November 7

Academy 2, Manchester

True to their name, it is almost as if we convene at Manchester’s Academy 2 to watch a 1970s style public service film, not a rock gig in 2013.

Any punters who were tempted to use their phone to record the band were swiftly discouraged by a film, which humorously ensures that the packed crowd is not tempted to take home some footage of the gig.

For the uninitiated, Public Service Broadcasting are a two-piece who use archive footage from topics such as the Blitz, American public safety films and a 1936 documentary about train delivering mail around the country.

They use the voiceovers of these films as their lyrics, while Wrigglesworth provides drums and J. Willgoose, Esq. contributes guitars, banjos, keyboards and his own automated words, ‘everything else’.

The pair does not engage in any banter themselves, they leave that to an automated system, which always gets a laugh, and is so Received Pronunciation it would not be out of place in the 1930s.

On their two releases, their debut album Inform Educate Entertain and the preceding War Room EP they are spellbinding, and in the live arena they are even more so.

Surrounded by TV monitors which play the related footage, you can’t help but stare in awe at how they have developed such a concept.

Willgoose is like a man possessed during throughout the gig, rapidly alternating between his string shredding guitar work, playing the banjo and overseeing the keyboard and all things technical.

We are also treated to two new songs which take influence from Dutch ice skating films, which the automated voice of Willgoose says seemed like the ‘logical next step’.

Hearing these new songs is intriguing, as fans may be concerned that their musical formula is a gimmick, and that their ideas may become tired, but on this evidence it seems they still have a rich selection of content to work from.

Showcasing crowd favourites tracks such as ‘Signal 30’, ‘Spitfire’ and set closer ‘Everest’, I think it is fair to say that the audience go home informed, educated and most importantly entertained.