Portishead play low-key show; debut new material

Portishead played a small show, ish, in Bristol last night, and previewed some new material in the process.

The trio of old - Adrian Utley, Beth Gibbons and Geoff Barrow - played two songs at the city's Mr Wolfs bar last night, reports Pitchfork. Or, rather, a reader of Pitchfork.

Says said reader: "After a couple of hours [spinning] eclectic sadcore classics from the likes of Tom Waits and Joy Division, Geoff and Adrian began to play 'Wandering Star', with Geoff playing bass. A few bars in, Geoff picked up the mike and asked, 'Anyone here know how to sing?' At this point Beth walked on stage and started singing."

The trio then played a new song, during which, apparently, the crowd "had their mouths gaping and eyes wide open as if they were witnessing an alien landing". Barrow wrote on his MySpace page that the new song is, as yet, untitled.

The trio had not played together since 2005. According to witnesses, Gibbons had to pay to enter the venue as the person working the door failed to recognise who she was.