Public Service Broadcasting closed their European tour last night at the Alhambra in Paris, performing songs from their latest album The Last Flight alongside a handful of earlier favourites. The set moved from recent material into staples like "Theme from PSB," "Sputnik," "Go!," "Gagarin," or "Everest," and the crowd reacted to each one as if it were a signature anthem. Fans travelled from across the continent to hear that blend of synth driven dance pop and space rock, a sound that feels as much engineered as performed.
Every contradiction that defines their records becomes even more striking onstage: their music is direct, but far from simple. It's trippy, but also highly danceable. It's organic and synthetic all at once, and it's designed to take you on a journey both musical and thematic. Their songs unfold like narratives even though almost none of them rely on sung lyrics. Instead, the scattered public information film samples are treated as melodic instruments, woven neatly into J. Willgoose, Esq.’s compositions. Drummer Wrigglesworth, name and all, played with perfect control and weight, while bassist and multi instrumentalist J. F. Abraham added propulsion and the occasional wink to the crowd.
The visual presentation, created by keyboardist Mr. B, lifted the performance without overwhelming it. The screens worked like a second layer of storytelling, sometimes reinforcing a theme, sometimes expanding it. Everything was timed with care, from the pacing between songs to the swells and breaks inside them, and the effect pulled both body and mind into the experience. It was smart, physical, and, despite the highly conceptual nature of it all, genuinely moving,
