PJ Harvey presented a haunting display of theatricality and grit at Barrowlands

PJ Harvey entered a lone spotlight on the centre of stage, taking a step forward towards her audience who spilled over the dance floor. When the applause ceased she took her mic and presented her most recent album, I Inside the Old Year Dying, the tenth addition to her rich discography.

It was her second sell-out night playing Glasgow’s Barrowlands, enlightening attendees with a performance of passion, grit and theatricality.

Harvey and her band - John Parish, Jean-Marc Butty, Giovanni Ferrario and James Johnston - told stories of folklore and girlhood through jangly guitar rhythms, stringent percussion, eloquent violins and haunting harmonies, transcending the people before them into states of mesmerisation and wonder.

They showcased their full and concise repertoire with a healthy combination of new and old material.

Stretching out her arms, she poured herself into the mic with rage and conviction and commanded the opening track, Prayer at the Gate.

Moving into the second half of the set, her band played a solo acoustic rendition of The Colour of the Earth before Polly Jean returned and they moved onto classics including The Glorious Land, Send His Love To Me and The Desperate Kingdom of Love, closing the act with a folky, understated and delightful cover of Bob Dylan’s Dark Eyes.