Spiritualized at EartH

“If people want sacred experiences, they will find them here. If they want profane experiences, they will find those too. I take no sides.” This was said by artist Mark Rothko in 1961 about the design of his Chapel in Texas, but it rang true in the amphitheatre at EartH Hackney as Spiritualized took the stage in support of War Child.

Blue light floods the stage as Jason Pierce and co walk on without much ceremony, and the unmistakable chime of a tambourine soon kicks off Cop Shoot Cop, the epic closer to Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. Stretching over ten minutes, the track feels like an appropriate start for an hour-long journey through space. EartH is a perfect setting for this particular gig, not only by name, but also by virtue of its beautiful Art Deco interior, which is grand yet contained enough to host such a sublime and masterful performance.

There are three backup singers, whose harmonies with Pierce soar above the distortion, but the lights are just as important as the music, a fact that becomes obvious as the band barrels through She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit). There is a certain aura of not wanting to be seen – perhaps not wanting to be known at all – that permeates J Spaceman’s stage presence; backlit, clad in sunglasses and turned towards the rest of the band, he doesn’t face the room head-on. He’s there with a singular mission, which doesn’t necessarily involve interacting with the audience. But that doesn’t take away from the show itself, as the connection isn’t meant to be there – not in the physical plane, at least.

Intergalactic church is in session, with the gospel-like Shine a Light and Let It Flow both casting a spell over the amphitheatre, chimes and all. With the backup singers off stage, Spacemen 3’s These Blues elicits cheers from the room before giving way to an instrumental cover of Laurie Anderson’s Born, Never Asked.

Pure Phase, which celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2025, dominates the setlist, as Electric Mainline and All of My Tears also make an appearance, with Pierce treating the room to a beautiful, fragile solo in the latter. Newer tracks like The A Song (Laid in Your Arms) and Damaged are also played with rousing ebbs and flows.

The night is an exercise in delayed gratification. Each song contorts into several minutes of controlled chaos before picking back up again, depositing the audience back on solid ground – but not before keeping everyone at the edge of their seats with each elongated crescendo. Going back to the Rothko quote, it almost feels like witnessing something sacred in the gentler moments; profane in the fuzz.

In this crumbling cathedral of noise, it’s not easy to return to earth when being serenaded by a Spaceman, but the group simply lets the last drones of Sail on Through ring out before ending the concert with a shy “Thank you” and no encore. Will they come back? “He never does,” a superfan mutters, walking away into the night.

Antigoni Pitta
Photos: Niamh Grace

For further information and future events, visit Spiritualized’s website here.

Watch the video for Electric Mainline Pt 2 here: