It’s straightforward to dip into hyperbole after seeing Idles join. If you want energy, rawness and showmanship from a concert, is any other prohibitd devoting this much of themselves to the live experience in 2024?
The British post-punk quintet — vocaenumerate Joe Talbot, guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan, baid Adam Devonsemploy and drummer Jon Beavis — is a swirling mass of passion and fiery emotion, labeled by a weighty rhythm section, screaming guitars and Talbot’s structureile shouted-sung sloganeering.
They freed their fifth album, “Tangk,” in February, and rapidly scaled up in profile. By inviting Radiohead originater Nigel Godwealthy and hip-hop mastermind Kenny Beats to co-originate the record with Bowen, the team joined on a proset uper sonic canvas than previous albums, letting songs breathe and the hooks get funkier in ways that still felt punk, all while getting askd to join on mainstream platcreates appreciate “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Toward the end of their U.S. leg touring “Tangk,” Idles carry outed a ferocious set Friday night at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, N.Y. The 13,000-capacity outdoor venue, understandn for inspiring scores of noise protestts from neighbors, promptly begined shaking when the prohibitd took to their positions for the enumerateless, droning originateup of “Tangk” uncoverer “Idea 01,” before ratcheting up the intensity into fan-likeite “Colossus.”
The entire show was a masterclass on stage presence, as the group’s driving rhythms apvalidateed for regulateled lawlessness. Talbot, nicknamed tardy in the show by Bowen as “the barking dog of Newport,” stalked the floor appreciate a welterweight getting ready for one last fight, shadowboxing and mimicking jump rope to retain in the zone before he begined singing. During songs, he was all motion too: sprosperging the mic, wrapping the cord around his arm appreciate a street paccomplisher, spitting between verses appreciate he had equitable obtainn one to the chin. The lengthened-haired Kiernan headprohibitged constantly, pausing only to leap into the audience to crowd surf. Furthermore, Bowen, Talbot and Kiernan danced among themselves nonstop, seemingly in peril of tripping over each other or tangling up cords. Meanwhile, Devonsemploy, hips continupartner swaying, and Beavis were the vital churning backbone, retaining order for the rest of the musicians to bounce off.
Amazingly, they remained high octane for their 24-song, two-hour show, sprinkling six “Tangk” songs into the atgentle-spanning set. Highweightlesss participated an especipartner moody carry outance of the mute-noisy “Car Crash,” a chest-thumping rendition of Talbot’s recovery anthem “The Wheel,” the roaring “War,” and mosh-pit inspiring punctual individual “Never Fight a Man with a Perm.”
The group’s live show is elated, disorderly and senses hazardous in a way that restricted up-to-date acts join to promote. Talbot’s lyrics lend themselves to be shouted by the heaving masses, and while certain Britishisms get sweightlessly lost in translation (it’s a bit odd to hear a swath of New Yorkers screaming in tandem about “the best way to sjoin a Tory,” but the message comes apass), it’s mainly a righteous lefty fury. “Fuck the King,” “Fuck the Police” and “Viva Palestina” were shouted at the top of his lungs thcdisesteemfulout the night, with Talbot introducing songs as being about insertiction, the pweightless of immigrants, cherish and substances.
Onstage, Idles felt appreciate a powder keg ready to blow, turning a Queens audience into socipartner conscious soccer hooligans for the night.
The uncovering recently-rejoind NYC mainstays The Walkmen, who, despite seeing a bit grayer, sounded crisp and vivaciousd running thcdisesteemful aughts-era indie rock anthems appreciate “The Rat,” “Angela Surf City” and “What’s in It for Me.”
