Idles
21st July 2023
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
It’s another miserable night in Tāmaki Makaurau, it feels like it has been winter for the entire year and frankly even the seasoned professionals of perpetual optimism are being worn down by it.
But like the light at the end of the tunnel, live music has always been salvation. Friday night, Idles and Spark Arena in ‘club room setting’, is just what is needed for many who have been trudging through the last couple of months.
Only done once before, club room setting basically means no seats (they are curtained off with heavy black drapery) and a slightly smaller sized arena, bar style lights, from the front to the back. This setting not only makes the area feel more intimate, but also does wonders for the sound.
Punters had arrived early to catch not one but two impressive local supports, the night beginning with Half/Time, a te ao Māori centred punk band who are not only making waves here at home but overseas as well (having recently performed at FOCUS Wales), and Daffodils, who having been around the circuit for awhile now – delivered yet another enjoyable set dripping with 1975 / Joy Division vibes and the gorgeous vocals of Theo Salmon.
Stepping in closer to the stage, the crowd erupted as Idles arrived, the camaraderie between both fan and performer something that has always been instant and strong with the boys from Bristol who have now graced us with their presence three times (and hopefully a few more times to come!).
Wasting no time, because frankly in this day and age it is too precious to waste, ‘Colossus’ sets the stage on fire, lead singer Joe Talbot dressed completely in black with a sweatband on his head already moving at full speed, the drum beat and striking bass line dropped perfectly by Adam Devonshire awakening something deep inside everyone in attendance as feet start to stomp and those at front pressing in closer. “I’m like Reggie Kray” Talbot declares, the track itself having a definitive Iggy Pop ‘Lust for Life’ undertone, and let’s face it, Talbot is a bit like Reggie, a switchblade knife dipped in charisma.
“Are you ready to collide? Are you ready to love??” Talbot declares as he commands the audience to split into left and right for ‘Car Crash’; and they do us with gusto. Walls of death aren’t uncommon sights at metal shows, but this is something different, an excuse to release some energy while simultaneously forming an unspoken bond with fellow humans that you are standing toe to toe with, the crowd colliding with joy and grins that are a mile wide.
‘Mr Motivator’ has delicious distortion, lead guitarist Mark Bowen – dressed this evening in a rather fetching floral satin dress – unleashing on the strings while Lee Kienan on rhythm and dressed in white spins like a whirling dervish, Jon Beavis on drums epically punctuating it all.
And this is often the beauty of an IDLES set and why they are a must-see live band, there is an unbridled chaos to shows without them every missing a beat. Each band member in a world that seems completely their own and yet cohesive. It is a beautiful thing.
For the first half of the show, there is no breathing room between tracks, and nor should there be. Like a tightly wound-up spring, the music rains down as thought-provoking lyrics pummel the crowd, invigorating them, driving them. It’s a release that is felt from deep within, and not something that many acts can attain from their followers, but something that Idles achieves with ease. It is honest and raw and most importantly not contrived.
The trio of ‘Mother’ – “the best way to scare a tory is to read and get rich”, ‘Meds’ and of course ‘I’m Scum’ sends the crowd into a lyric screaming frenzy, feet dancing as they match Talbot word for word, the only break coming in the form of a heartfelt speech from said vocalist as he declares how wonderful it is to be back in our country and that while he feels like he has been on speed for the last seven days and has been hit in the face with a baseball bat, seeing everyone’s beautiful faces makes it worth it.
Soon the crowd is asked to sit as Talbot makes an impassioned speech on his disgust of the monarchy likening them to a paedophile ring (he’s not wrong) a chant of “fuck the king!” soon bringing down the very ceiling. “Fuck the king, fuck the conditioning!” Talbot screams, the reciprocal cries of the fans very much letting him know that they are all in agreement.
‘The Wheel’ and ‘1049 Gotho’ once again elevate the crowd into raucous abandonment, bodies smashing together as the band use every available inch of stage to their advantage; it is often hard to know where to look, each member so unique in their performance style that it’s like being a kid given free reign at a candy shop, visually it is all just so delectable.
‘Love Song’ delivers both a moment to catch the breath and have a laugh as both Kiernan and Bowen disappear into the crowd, an almost impromptu karaoke session occurring as Talbot throws in snippets of ‘It Must be Love’ by Madness, ‘Nothing Compares to You’ by Sinéad O’Connor, Foreigner’s ‘Cold as Ice’ and even ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen! Talbot soon requesting the crowd to again split down the middle but this time turning it into a challenge by directing them to catch Lee Kiernan and even offering them bonus points if they manage to get his shoe. It’s this type of merriment that always makes the punk world something distinctly different and often a lifelong love, a point verified by taking a look around the crowd, strangers clinking cups with strangers, a mix of ages from young teenagers through to those in their sixties all joined together in song.
‘A Hymn’, “I wanna be loved, everybody does” is a song that gut punches more than ever in our current state of society, Talbot’s earlier speech of how last time he was here he felt safe and loved despite having once again fallen off the wagon hitting home.
By now the set was coming into the closing straight, and both the band and the audience knew it, both amping themselves up to make every second mean something. ‘War’ with its flashing lights and piercing guitars followed closely by ‘Whizz’ and the hands down brilliant ‘Danny Nedelko’, Talbot declaring it is a song not only about celebrating the immigrants that came to their shores and made it a better place but a “celebration of love and empathy in the face of fascist cunts!” Bowen once again crowd surfing with his guitar, it’s trailing wire like an umbilical cord as he was carried on the arms of his many loving parents.
But not before Talbot had both thanked security for looking after them and the crowd and stated how much he hated air conditioning because it dried him out, “Turn it off or I’ll shit in all your rubbish bins” – ahh can’t beat the English and their pure honesty.
Soon announcing that this was the last song, the fans vocalised their sorrow, Talbot reminding them that they “don’t do encores, they’re weird” (amen to that!). ‘Rottweiler’ an anti-fascist song for the anti-fascists bringing it home with an extended ending that allowed everyone present to give it their all before the Idles waved goodbye and exited the stage.
Respect for yourself, respect for others and an open mind. Idles truly are the epitome of what punk is all about.
Idles:
Daffodils:
Half/Time:
Were you there at Spark Arena for this energetic indie punk gig? Or have you seen Idles perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
IDLES Setlist:
- Colossus
- Car Crash
- Mr Motivator
- Mother
- Meds
- I’m Scum
- Crawl!
- Divide & Conquer
- Beachland Ballad
- The Wheel
- 1049 Gotho
- Love Song
- A Hymn
- War
- Whizz
- Never Fight A Man With A Perm
- Danny Nedelko
- Rottweiler
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