PJ Harvey @ Place Bell

You can already tell it’s going to be a different kind of show when you arrive inside Place Bell. Instead of bright lights and PA music greeting you, it’s almost dark, and soft, eerie sounds are playing. In combination with the dimly lit stage backdrop that looks like a forest of gnarled tree silhouettes, it sets a spooky tone for the ethereal sounds of the legendary PJ Harvey before a note is even played.

It takes a confident artist to start off a show by playing their newest record from start to finish. But with a career spanning 36 years now, Polly is certainly that. The record in question, 2023’s I Inside the Old Year Dying, is a moody, serious affair and matches the stage setup exquisitely. It’s almost theatrical in parts, with poses held between songs, serious facial expressions maintained throughout, and props brought on and off stage while bells and birdsongs play out.

Her 4-piece backing band—John Parish, Giovanni Ferrario, Jean-Marc Butty, and James Johnston—are by no means anonymous touring musicians. They come to the forefront on various occasions with duets and more-than-occasional instrument changes. The culmination of their collective talent is the astonishing harmonies they all lay down simultaneously on “A Child’s Question, July.” “A Noiseless Noise” closes out the record with an apocalyptic violin solo at the front of the stage before the violinist and Polly turn their backs in perfect sync and walk slowly toward the back of the stage. Like I said, it’s pure theatre—an enthralling spectacle.

Polly then disappears from view, and the 4-piece begin the second half of the show, which has more of a “Greatest Hits” kinda vibe. Their run-through of “The Colour of the Earth” is impeccable, bearing more than a passing resemblance to a sea shanty. Polly returns in an elegant white gown as the song melts into “The Glorious Land,” greeted by huge cheers and the off-time bugle call that sounds out. “The Words That Maketh Murder” makes it three in a row from the 2011 Let England Shake record, with the crowd clapping feverishly as Polly clutches her autoharp.

Things remain theatrical despite the content change. “Send His Love to Me” sees Polly, free of any instruments now, patrolling the stage and flailing her arms imploringly before dropping to her hands and knees and slapping the floor. “The Garden” darkens the mood even more, save for a small spotlight at the front of the stage that beams up at her, projecting her petite 5’3” frame into an enormous 15-foot shadow at the back of the stage—an incredible effect. “The Desperate Kingdom of Love” is utterly spellbinding, consisting of just Polly’s angelic vocals and her delicate acoustic guitar. At this point, you could hear a pin drop; it’s so quiet. And absolutely magical.

When the grungier ’90s offerings arrive, it’s almost too much for some to bear. During 1993’s “Man-Size,” one guy in the third row runs into the aisle, dancing all by himself at first, before a few in the neighbouring rows join him. 1992’s “Dress” comes next and is equally wonderful, followed swiftly by the timeless “Down by the Water” (1995) under a sinister blue light. Polly finally breaks her poker face with a smile and says, “Thank you so much, it’s wonderful to be back; thanks for coming to see us play!” After introducing the band, “To Bring You My Love” closes out the main set.

After a short pause, PJ and co. are summoned back to the stage by the packed Place Bell, almost all of whom are on their feet by now. “C’mon Billy” and “White Chalk” round out the encore, the latter of which sees Polly’s ageless vocals simmer over a soft strum and even softer organ keys, with a harmonica solo from Polly at the outro. Is there nothing she can’t do?

One more round of thank-yous and a couple of bows later, the band leaves the stage for good after a majestic hour and 45 minutes, somehow topping her last visit to MTelus in 2017.

An incredible evening from start to finish.