Conflicting views still rage about The Scream's last gig at the Octagon. Bobby G's attack on the crowd's 'hippie' student apathy was taken by some as a sign of his disapproval, other's said it was awesome event full of Lydonesque punk-rage. Well tonight it seems these raging Scottish socialists have come a long way from their hazy apolitical music of old. There's no soap-box preaching between the songs; there doesn't have to be, it's all in the tunes which are spat out with anti-capitalist fury by songsmith Gillepespie. The track titles say it all, Kill All Hippies, Swastika Eyes, Blood Money, Insect Royalty. Hold on to your tin-hats people, it's fucking war! The band enter the stage will a purpose. "Are we gonna raise the fuckin' roof on this place?", Gillespie spits out twice just in case the message isn't clear. The beats kick in and so too does BG as he dances around Mani and co. like a maniacal rag-doll-whirling-dirvish-Bez-on-High through the militant Big-Beat opening of Swastika Eyes. Yet there are as many big-beats tonight as there are vowels on the Scream's latest xtrmntr record- and it fucking works as well! This is Primal Scream stripped bear of their dance-produced records; it's a full-on rock'n'roll jazz-funk explosion. Blood Money has to be heard to be believed with it's Miles Davis tinged cacophony of jazz-rock; a sprawling, glorious avant-garde mess of a song. It's only a shame the crowd didn't respond to this in the same way that they later did to Rocks. I just don't get this- well, I do: it's the singularly most recognisable hook tune but compared to Medication, a similarly Stones influenced track that was played tonight, Rocks borders on the average. Primal Scream are coming together right now as never before. They are soaring up to that Stone Roses circa 1990 status with the added dimension of a militant political agenda. The military industrial complex better watch it's greedy fat arse there's civil disobedience in the air.

Paul Whitson