London, UK – 18 Jan 2022
Exultant Idles prove worth the wait in Brixton.
Postponed twice, it had seemed for a while that this Idles gig, booked by my friend when Ultra Mono was still fresh, would never happen. As such, it was with a slight sense of disbelief and a larger one of plain relief that we headed to Brixton. The night was sold out, as all of the gigs in their run of four dates at the Academy were. With a capacity of just under 5000 that’s a solid amount of enthusiasm for a band whose recent trajectory has been meteoric.
A lot has happened in the eighteen months since the show was slated to first go ahead. Indeed, the band has released a whole new album in that period. I was intrigued to see how the change in approach on their fourth and arguably most musically ambitious album to date, Crawler, would translate into a live setting. As a more subdued and stylistically adventurous record its lead tracks owe as much to soul and hip hop as the pummeling tones of punk.
The opening act was Big Joanie, a band whose star has been on the rise from their origins in the London DIY punk scene. This was the second time I had seen them. the first being when they supported Bikini Kill. In fact the band have similar ethos with songs challenging the all too often pale and stale state of ostensibly progressive punk scenes. Musically they lean towards Indie-ish approach tinged with some sharper Post – punk elements. They have a warm stage presence, remarking favourably on a friendly heckle. Their interpretation of a Solange song ‘Cranes In The Sky’ did what a good cover should and added their own slant.
Next up was Sinead O’Brien. Mixing a half sung half spoken word approach into their songs they had the feel of a more Irish Billy Nomates. There are also shades of Patti Smith in the delivery. The backing instrumentation was provided by a sharply attired guitarist with a huge pedalboard and a drummer. It’s not always easy to build a full sound with just two instruments but they did a sterling job. O’ Brien’s music has an art-rock sensibility with an angular rhythmic approach. It was a good set but for a band so lyrically driven it was a shame that quite a large chunk of the vocals got lost in the mix. The wry observation that permeates O’Brien’s songwriting wasn’t fully done justice.
From the first strains of “Colossus” as Idles took to an initially darkened stage it was clear; this was going to be quite a gig. As they steam rolled onwards, frontman Joe Talbot orchestrated the crowd into a large mosh pit. Given the ethos of the band and their fans this was a good-natured encounter. The band are also attentive towards both audience and the security. At one point they stopped playing and got everyone to take a step back as there was a bit if a crush up front.
Songs such as ‘Mr Motivator’ and ‘Never Fight A Man With A Perm’ go down exceptionally well, with the crowd responding animatedly. Another highlight was the slower number ‘Beachland Ballroom’ where Joe Talbot does his best tortured soulful croon. The dropping down of a disco ball during the song was a nice touch. The set weaved pretty effectively between the four albums of tunes they now have to draw on. The only slight dip for me was the segue into a mash up of cover versions mid-set which went on for a little too long. Not even the Idles treatment can shake my conviction that the majority of Christmas songs are abominable.
I spent the majority of the gig close to the barrier and one advantage of our position centre stage to the front was being able to see John Beavis in full swing. His forceful rhythms are absolutely integral to the sonic makeup of the group. The exchange between Beavis and Dev on bass is a joy to observe. Whichever direction the band move in they retain a groove. There was also a good deal of highly expressive dancing on display, from Talbot’s wiggle, to guitarist Mark Bowen’s Kate Bush like gyrations.
The answer to my pondering on how the newer material would play out live is that it was an emphatic success. The set was well balanced and the newer songs displayed the dynamism that the band are capable of in their songwriting. They haven’t lost any of the aggressive, Jack hammer urgency that is their stock in trade. What they have done is added some more deftly articulated moments. On the strength of this gig they’re also one of the more exciting live acts currently on the circuit.
