On Saturday 22nd November 2025, Spaceheads made their triumphant return to the legendary Carlton Club, joined by longtime collaborator Rucksack Cinema – renowned for transforming their trumpet-and-drum performances with immersive, real-time multi-projection light shows that blend archival film footage with hypnotic digital glitches.
If you’re new to Spaceheads, the duo is made up of trumpeter Andy Diagram – far from a traditional player, weaving live loops and effects into his sound – and drummer Richard Harrison, whose inventive, unconventional style makes him one of a kind. Having played together for decades, they share an almost telepathic connection, freely bending song structures and stretching timings to create performances that feel genuinely spontaneous and fresh. These qualities were evident from the moment they opened their set with ‘What Does the Money Machine Eat?‘ – a track that evolved from a blend of Andy’s daily livestreams during lockdown and the duo’s summer meet-ups at the farm where they record in Cheshire.
The farm plays a significant role on the band’s new six-track EP, Spaceheads Go Wild, which they released ahead of the gig and played two songs from: ‘The Rich Are a Luxury We Can’t Afford’ and ‘Burros, Torritos, Saddlesores and Honchos’. The former has quickly become a live favourite, and for this performance the band were joined by two backing vocalists, Billy and Skye, with the entire audience chiming in on the chorus, creating a moment of unity and shared energy that perfectly matched the song’s message. The latter has also made quite the impact this year, recently receiving a music video filmed amid wild flowers at the farm that perfectly reflects the EP’s title. Anchored by a thumping beat from Richard, it features dive-bomb trumpet tones pushed through Andy’s whammy pedal, plunging the sound four octaves lower.
With a wealth of material in their back catalogue and the ability to reshape songs on the fly, crafting a setlist must be quite the challenge for Spaceheads – you never know what surprises await. This time, they nodded to Andy’s past with The Diagram Brothers by covering their debut single ‘We Are All Animals‘. Getting the crowd to join the chorus, they turned the haunting monotone funk into an electrifying moment of collective energy.
The cover wasn’t the only surprise – ‘Lovely Joan’ stood out, a charming jazz-folk crossover featuring vocals from Billy Harrison, who had also collaborated on ‘The Rich Are a Luxury We Can’t Afford‘ earlier in the set. Its gentle, folky tones provided a striking contrast to faster-paced tracks like ‘Chug’, whose intense back-and-forth between the duo built to a thrilling climax before ending in an abrupt, exhilarating stop. It’s remarkable how Spaceheads can generate such rich instrumentation, atmosphere, and sound from just two musicians, and ‘Robbing the Memory Bank‘ in particular highlighted the eccentric, experimental range of textures Andy can conjure.
The penultimate track of the night, ‘Revolution Sashays Up The Mall’, was a thrilling burst of spontaneity that sent the crowd into overdrive. Andy dashed off the stage and into the heart of the audience, roaming the floor with boundless energy, never skipping a beat. The raw, unrestrained vibe of the moment perfectly captured the band’s electrifying live spirit. Right after that, ‘Sun Radar’ took over, its sci-fi effects and quirky drum sounds driving a punchy rhythm, while tight, funky trumpet lines blasted through the venue – making it the ultimate finale.
Spaceheads delivered yet another unforgettable performance, blending spontaneity, experimentation, and sheer musicianship in equal measure. With their telepathic connection and boundless creativity, every show feels like a unique adventure, and we can only hope it won’t be too long before we get to experience the extraordinary duo live again.
Go Wild is out now via Electric Brass Records. It’s available on CD and digital download across all platforms. You can can order it from the Spaceheads Bandcamp page.
