Public Service Broadcasting- Kelvingrove Bandstand

Back in the bandstand - a beautiful night - theres a crackling excitement in the air.

Public Service Broadcasting are not your average band, and what they delivered in Glasgows Kelvingrove Bandstand was far from a typical gig. It was something unique. Something beautiful.

I first saw PSB at a BBC event and, honestly, I wasnt sure how their audio-visual style would translate to a full live show. But any doubts I had were swept away—what they do live is phenomenal.

From the first moments, the band showed off their signature style: rich visuals, archival samples, layered musicianship, and that driving, krautrock-inspired rhythm. They dont speak on stage. They broadcast. And somehow, it works perfectly.

Early standouts include a song featuring a cowbell, always a treat live, and then we are treated to a slow builder with hauntingly beautiful Scottish female vocals. Early in the set, I found myself thinking of King Creosote and Pictish Trail, drawn in by that same evocative, atmospheric sound.

Between songs, something happened Ive never seen at this venue: total silence from the crowd, right after applause. Not a shout. Not a whisper. Just pure respect for the atmosphere PSB had created.

Throughout the night, band members seamlessly switched instruments—bass, percussion, synths, even visuals, all handled internally. Its like watching an orchestra without a conductor. And then, the moment the bassist JF Abraham (who also plays percussion, synths, and more) drops a bassline, you suddenly understand: this is the engine room of PSB. Frontman J. Willgoose, Esq. eventually introduces him - name checking what felt like seven instruments - and its clear this isnt just a band, its a musical machine.

Then... the rock band kicks in.

"Go!" is a standout. The drops hit with a Biffy Clyro-level intensity. The crowds chanting "Go! Go! Go!" fills the amphitheatre. Stay. Go. Stay. Go. The tension and release is perfect. The encore arrives, and suddenly were deep into Hot Chip rave territory—the crowd swaying, dancing, completely in the moment.

Its easy to compare PSB to others - Hot Chip, Kraftwerk, even Mogwai at points but they truly stand alone. A friend once called them Krautrock Kraftwerk, and I get it. But at the same time, theyre something else entirely.

Its like the band formed when a group of friends were watching YouTube videos, high one night, and asked, what if we made music around old public service broadcasts? It sounds absurd—until you hear it. Then it sounds... brilliant.

No one in PSB sings in the traditional sense. Instead, voices are lifted from archives, history, science, space, and humanity. Its experimental, but never inaccessible. And somehow, it connects deeply.

That jam session was ridiculous. In the best possible way.

The brass band added to the party vibes, and were a great addition to the live act.

Then we are joined onstage with a dancing astronaut during Gargarin! Mental!

Public Service Broadcasting dont just play music—they create a moment. Its pure ART!
Art you can feel. Glasgow wont forget any time soon.

Everyone is buzzing as we walk back under the trees of Kelvin Way...!

Setlist

Electra

The Fun of It

The Pit

People Will Always Need Coal

Progress

The South Atlantic

Arabian Flight

Monsoons

A Different Kind of Love

Blue Heaven

Spitfire

The Other Side

Go!

They Gave Me a Lamp

People, Lets Dance

Gagarin

Everest

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