Primal Scream

Primal Scream brought a welcome sense of anticipation to London's Outernet for this 25th anniversary XTRMNTR tour performance. Situated beneath the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Charing Cross Road, the 2,000-capacity subterranean venue provided a stark, immersive setting. Built with ultra-high-definition LED screens as a backdrop, the main room's acoustic design delivered a clean, resonant bass response that complemented the dense, layered output of the album.

Taking the stage as an eight-piece ensemble—complete with a live brass section featuring trumpet and saxophone—the band launched directly into the aggressive, industrial electronic pulse of 'Kill All Hippies', quickly followed by the driving guitar riffs of 'Accelerator' and the abrasive industrial rhythms of 'Exterminator'.

Frontman Bobby Gillespie directed proceedings with trademark minimalism, backed by a wall of sound that fused driving basslines, electronic off-beats, and sharp brass stabs as the XTRMNTR material was delivered track by track.

'Swastika Eyes' marked the visual highlight of the evening. The venue's immense LED displays were utilized to maximum effect, projecting rapid-fire imagery of fighter jets, bomb detonations, and contemporary geopolitical flashpoints, including Gaza and Donald Trump, before closing on the stark, high-contrast message: "STOP GENOCIDE - END APARTHEID - FREE PALESTINE".

'Pills', 'Blood Money', and 'Keep Your Dreams' all hit the mark, before diving into the rhythmic textures of 'Insect Royalty' and the expansive instrumental soundscapes of 'MBV Arkestra (If They Move, Kill 'Em)'. A second, rendition of 'Swastika Eyes'—utilizing the Chemical Brothers remix transformed the room into a pulsating club—before closing the main set with 'Shoot Speed/Kill Light'.

Returning for an extended seven-song encore, the band shifted gear toward their early-nineties breakthrough material. The section opened with the dub-heavy bassline of 'Kowalski' and a cover of The Third Bardo’s 'I'm 5 Years Ahead of My Time', followed by 'I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have' leading into the Andrew Weatherall-produced 'Loaded', which drew an immediate surge from the crowd.

'Movin' on Up' brought gospel-inflected vocal harmonies and brass leads to the forefront, followed by the glorious driving rock rhythm of 'Jailbird'. Ending with the euphoric 'Country Girl' and the hard-hitting riffs of 'Rocks', there was no doubt Primal Scream have still very much got it.

Setlist
Kill All Hippies
Accelerator
Exterminator
Swastika Eyes
Pills
Blood Money
Keep Your Dreams
Insect Royalty
MBV Arkestra (If They Move, Kill 'Em)
Swastika Eyes (Chemical Brothers mix version)
Shoot Speed/Kill Light

Encore:
Kowalski
I'm 5 Years Ahead of My Time
I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have
Loaded
Movin' on Up
Jailbird
Country Girl
Rocks