Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
Idles doesn't like to be pigeon-holed musically. Punk? Post-punk? Experimental? Art rock? Idles is not alone in eschewing genres. No matter, though, because the British band was pretty much all that and more in a sold-out show.
Life certainly is good for the quintet, which only 14 months ago was playing an area venue one-sixth the size.
Lead singer Joe Talbot started the night like a man possessed. While the band kicked in with a dense, thick music on "Idea 01," Talbot intensely and quickly ipaced about the stage from side to side. Later, he would face the side of the stage for a stretch while singing.
That's not to say he was distant. Far from it. Near the show's very end, he engaged with three fans by name and made it clear how appreciative the band was.
More importantly, Talbot also effectively put the songs across.
There was a lot to like about Idles musically. That would start with drummer Jon Beavis, whose arms should have been about ready to fall off by the end of the night. In song after song – there were 25 of them – Beavis slammed the skins, propelling the songs. Guitarist Mark Bowens, decked out in a tunic, suffused the songs with just the right touch on guitar without dominating the material.
Idles embraced politics at varying points with songs like the fast-paced "I'm Scum" where he sings "I don't care about the next James Bond/He kills for country, queen and God." At one point, Talbot led the crowd in a cheer of "Fuck the king." Not sure what the point of a U.S. audience embracing in such chants. Call it a headscratcher.
Talbot also spoke to the value of immigrants both here and in England, saying they had built the country.
There was a soft side to Idles in a few songs, but more so in the comments from Talbot. In the prelude to "Samaritans," Talbot urged people to be able to talk with others if having mental health issues, underscoring that you may be helping the other person too. He apparently believed in this so much that he talked about it at two different points of the generous two-hour show.
Talbot also acknowledged at one point that he had gone through a very rough patch and resorted to drugs, which was not the answer. He thanked his band mates behind him for their help and concern to turn his life around.
Idles was not all serious though. Prior to ending the night with opening act English Teacher on the stage for "Rottweiler," Idles decided it's never too early for Christmas. Thus, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," the Mariah Carey chestnut. Idles seemed to take it on tongue-in-cheek.
Don't be so worried about genre and style – especially since Idles isn't – because they wear it well.
Buzzed about British band English Teacher opener with a tight, musically expansive 45-minute set. Led by lead singer Lily Fontaine, their sound is more on the art rock/indie rock side. The songs are filled with twists and turns and abrupt tempo changes. The sound is often augmented by cello, adding a different sonic into the potpourri.
At times though, some of the subtleties were lost in the shuffle. Perhaps never more so than on "Broken Biscuits" where Fontaine's delivery was lost in the music., which was cacophonous by the end.
There is a welcome intensity about English Teacher, which won the coveted Mercury Prize in England earlier this year. That seemed to work because by the end of their gig, English Teacher scored rousing applause from the crowd. At some level, it's a case of how they channel it live.