Pentagram

Pentagram has built up a formidable reputation on the back of just seven albums in forty years, and no live appearances in this country. So when they announced they were going play live at last in the UK, a sell out was pretty much guaranteed.

Before then, newish band Purson opened proceedings and their gothic/stoner/folky set received a polite reception. A solid performance rather than spectacular, they are worth a second look.

Horisont played a blinding set tonight, though clearly they haven’t listened to anything post 1977, Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy coming to mind most often but you can chuck in half a dozen others from that era. A very tight band they are very good at what they do, but there’s a few bands doing this sort of thing at the moment, and they too are very good.

Belying their image Pentagram made a low key entrance with no intro tapes or fanfare, just picking up or sitting behind their instruments. Bobby Liebling said a few words about how long it had taken for them to get here and appeared to be genuinely moved by the crowd’s reaction. They then hit us full in the face with Treat Me Right from the new album. The band locked into their groove with the rhythm section of Greg Turley and Tim Tomaselli holding steady, while guitarist Victor Griffin threw his shapes.

But, inevitably, it was lead singer Bobby Leibling who was the centre of attention, and a more eccentric frontman we are unlikely to see. With his wild greying hair, bulging Marty Feldman eyes, facial ticks, tongue flicking serpent like while he played air guitar, he cut a very disconcerting figure.

Over a short set they drew very heavily from the new Last Rites album, which was expected, and their first album which was not so. No real complaints but after all this time one might have expected a more imaginative choice from the back-catalogue. All Your Sins had the crowd chanting and Into the Ground provoked near frenzy. Away from those albums Vampyre Love was stiletto sleazy and the blues of Review Your Choices was gloriously sinister. Highlights were the heavyweight encores of Wartime and an extended When the Screams Come. And then it was over, until...