Following the release of their latest album, The Last Flight, groundbreaking outfit Public Service Broadcasting descended into Gateshead for a planned pitstop at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music.

The band had previously played on the concourse of the venue during the BBC Radio 6 music festival several years ago. But since that time, the group has grown in stature to the point where Tuesday's show in Hall One was a sell-out in its own right.

But the Glasshouse wasn’t the only majestic North East venue the group has played in 2024, having headlined the Brass Festival at Durham Cathedral earlier this year.

One thing that was immediately apparent was that the ensemble had spared no expense on their production. A structure similar to that of a plane cockpit housing a multitude of video screens was the centrepiece of their creative stage set. The band’s latest offering follows the tale of legendary aviator Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to fly alone around the globe in her plane named the 'Electra'. And the stage set perfectly accompanied that theme.

(Image: Adam Kennedy)

Like many of PSB’s previous albums, their latest offering had a strong narrative running throughout. And whilst the band could have performed the album in full, telling the story of Amelia Earhart, the setlist was perfectly balanced between tracks from their latest offering amongst key cuts from their discography.

The opening of the show perfectly set the scene with a trio of songs from The Last Flight by way of Towards The Dawn, Electra and The Fun of It. Each of them featured wonderful vocal accompaniment from Eera.

The theme of travel and transportation has always had a strong presence in the Public Service Broadcasting repertoire. And an early inclusion of Sputnik further strengthened that theme in the band’s live show.

(Image: Adam Kennedy) It’s important to stress just how significant the visual representation of the band’s art is. There was so much thought put into the group’s complimentary visuals, lighting and overall aesthetic, which helped to enhance the mood and feel of their innovative performance.

Quite often during the show, the stage lighting would be so minimal that the group would appear as silhouettes on stage. Whilst videos and narration would accompany the band's largely instrumental compositions.

With such a complex production, it would be easy for the group to maintain the same setlist each night on the tour, but that's certainly not the case. Public Service Broadcasting have been switching up the setlist frequently, which adds to why they are so highly regarded for what they do.

(Image: Adam Kennedy) There was very little chit-chat or on-stage banter - it was all about the music. For once, and at the band’s request, the fans were not watching the show through their mobile phones, but everyone was fully present and engaged in the performance.

Songs like People Will Always Need Coal, Blue Heaven, and E.V.A, punctuated the group's latest material. The inclusion of tracks like The South Atlantic, Monsoons and Arabian Flight perfectly captured the mood and spirit of Amelia’s Trans-Atlantic adventure.

Public Service Broadcasting headed towards the end of their main set with momentum and velocity as they turned their attention to a different kind of plane - that being Spitfire. Whilst the pulsating beat of Other Side and fan favourite Go! Both featured in the latter stages of the show.

To see Public Service Broadcasting is like no other show. It's both informative, factual and educational. It's not just a concert but a musical and visual experience. In Gateshead, just like the great adventurers who the band highlighted in their music, the band took their fans on a journey through space, distance and time.