"Loaded, Lit, and Loud Primal Scream At Aviva Studios"
- Desh Kapur
- Apr 13
- 3 min read
Aviva Studios Manchester April 11th 2025
WORDS AND IMAGES DESH KAPUR
It was a beautiful evening in Manchester as i slowly made my way to Aviva Studios, Factory International iManchester's groundbreaking £186 million arts venue. Designed by OMA. Tonight it was for the iconic Primal Scream
The night opened with a swagger courtesy of Baxter Dury, the louche troubadour and son of punk legend Ian Dury. Over the past decade, Baxter has stepped firmly out of his father's shadow, creating his own distinct brand of slacker-chic pop noir. Clad in a crisp suit and barely breaking a sweat, he delivered a droll, deadpan set packed with louche poetry and synth-backed grooves. Baxter bristles with sardonic cool, and dry wit holding the crowd rapt. Backed by a tight band and his now-signature sultry female vocal for contrast, Dury proved the perfect counterpoint to what was to follow: the technicolour of Primal Scream.
As the lights cut out and strobes surged across the walls of Manchester’s industrial-chic Aviva Studios, the unmistakable opening of “Don't Fight It, Feel It” ripped through the air. Primal Scream arrived in full force—unapologetic. From the first beat, it was clear this was a statement of ongoing intent. Bobby Gillespie, resplendent in a tailored white jacket with black velvet lapels and still carrying the wiry menace of a frontman half his age, prowled the stage like a man with something to prove.
The set was a kaleidoscope of their storied discography, with a focus on "Come Ahead" their twelfth studio album, which has been praised for its blend of socially conscious themes and trippy, groove-heavy production. and lyrics laced with post-Brexit disillusionment and a swaggering kind of punk defiance. But the band never strayed too far from the tracks that made them icons. When “Loaded” kicked in, the crowd responded with near-religious fervour. “We wanna be free to do what we wanna do…” echoed through the rafters—no longer just a rave anthem but an ageless declaration of liberation.
Over the decades, Primal Scream has carved out a unique position in British music history: a band that shape-shifts without ever losing its core identity. From the acid house revolution of "Screamadelica" to the Stones-y rock of "Give Out But Don’t Give Up", their style defies easy categorisation. What ties it all together is a kind of spiritual rebellion, a refusal to settle, a hunger for transcendence through noise and rhythm.
That legacy was on full display tonight. “Come Together” morphed into a sprawling gospel-psychedelic jam, its layered chants and rising crescendos lifting the room into something euphoric and borderline spiritual. Gillespie, for his part, remains a magnetic performer—his voice thinner than it once was, perhaps, but still capable of conjuring real pathos, particularly on “Swastika Eyes” and “Movin’ On Up,” which sent the crowd into bursts of joy.
Throughout this 2025 Come Ahead Tour, it has been described as “ripping down the walls of the venue” with their raw energy, and fans reportedly left the show “sweaty, grinning, and half-deaf”—a badge of honour for any true "Screamadelica" disciple. And tonight in Manchester, that same power surged through every chord, beat, and chant.
Primal Scream aren’t just a legacy act coasting on past glories. They’re a force that continues to evolve, to provoke, to connect. At Aviva Studios, they reminded everyone in attendance why they’ve remained vital for over three decades. Rock and roll may age, but when it’s done with this much soul and danger, it never fades.
SET LIST
( FROM PREVIOUS NIGHTS SHOW )
1/ What the World Needs Now Is Love
(Jackie DeShannon song)
2/ Don't Fight It, Feel It
3/ Love Insurrection
4/ Jailbird
5/ Ready To Go Home
6/ Deep Dark Waters
7/ Medication
8/ Innocent Money
9/ Heal Yourself
10/ I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have
11/ Love Ain't Enough
12/ The Centre Cannot Hold
13/ Loaded
14/ Swastika Eyes
15/ Movin' on Up
16/ Country Girl
Encore:
17/ Melancholy Man
18/ Come Together
19/ Rocks
FOLLOW PRIMAL SCREAM
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