Live Review: Primal Scream & The Delta Riggs

The Delta Riggs' attire is a tad off-putting. All long hair and pseudo-retro stylings, their accoutrement (perhaps unfairly) suggests a certain lack of originality within their music. Frankly, such suspicions are borne out – but also ultimately irrelevant. The Gold Coast-via-Melbourne ensemble offer a sound that is utterly (almost proudly) derivative – but do so with a precision and fervor that is both redemptive and exciting. It's exceptionally capable garage rock. Vocalist Elliott Hammond has a yowl that is both harried and pitch-perfect. His supporting instrumentalists, meanwhile, work a similarly rewarding line between raucous expression and taut musicianship. To their credit, the band's songs don't actually resemble the post-Hives garage explosion of the noughties as much as they do those of the bands that inspired it – standout tune Counter Revolution proving a particular delight.

Depending on the night, such a set could be an ideal prelude to Primal Scream or the categorical opposite – given the headliners' tendency to eclecticism. Tonight, it proves a better introduction than most. The UK legends skew their set towards their rock-friendly material. While hardly neglecting their more celebrated electronic side (1991's Screamadelica and 1999's XTRMN8R both feature heavily), their performance is that of an aging rock band, more so than veteran electro shamans. This is an approach of varying outcomes. Bobby Gillespie is a bona fide rock star and performs as such – his emaciated frame and unintelligible lyrics cascading charismatically over cuts like Burning Wheel and Accelerator (which, in a savvy move, is dedicated to The Saints). The band, similarly, are a haze of distortion and euphoria. At their best (Swastika Eyes, for example), they're triumphant and terrifying – elaborate lighting cues only underscoring the sense of overwhelming anxiety that carries much of the band's work.

Unfortunately, content becomes an issue. Great performers, Primal Scream nevertheless don't really have a discography that supports a rock-centric show. If anything, their rock'n'roll material has always been their weakest point – consistently showcasing Gillespie's shortcomings as both a lyricist and songwriter. Rocks is a classic tune and, closing the set proper, few could deny the excitement it brings to a room – but it's an exception in their catalogue, not a rule. Cuts like Country Girl (or new joints like It's Alright and opener 2012) are mostly just boring and, as churlish as it may sound, simply puncture the joyous excitement brought about by the band's more electronic material. Chaotic inconsistency and stylistic diversity are two of the key reasons Primal Scream are still such a great band 30 years after their formation but, tonight, that inconsistency simply leaves an audience wanting.