Editors (with the Joy Formidable)

Editors (w/ the Joy Formidable)

Reviewed by Scott McLoughlin

The Editor’s Newcastle gig was characterised by one of the most surreal crowd atmospheres I have ever experienced. The Joy Formidable began the evening’s entertainments with their hybrid ‘Welsh countryside meets industrial London sound’. They make a huge noise for just a trio. Whilst watching them it became clear that their live performances completely eclipsed and surpass the quality of their recorded material. Recordings which I now feel do them an injustice. Highlights include the strangely familiar sounding track ‘Austere’. As thoroughly enjoyable the Joy Formidable were; I was some what distracted by the man stood directly in front of me. He smelt strangely of peanuts, adding ‘smell’ to the audible sensory stimulus I was already experiencing. Anyway, I was then privileged enough to meet the band after their performance in their homely tour van. They are truly genuine people, filled with a desire to make good music whilst being true to their own definition of what good music is. There mentality was refreshingly non-conformist for a decent band in a chart orientated world; having said this however, I would say they do sound a lot like many other indie acts. I recommend you give them a try at least. I then rejoined the crowd just as Editors took to the stage. I hasten to add that I completely missed the second support act’s performance. Therefore they aren’t even getting discussed. Professional of me, I know.

With Editors on stage the Crowd, though markedly less peanuty, made a concerted effort to step up its level of weird. Nobody wanted to move their feet at all. Not even once, for the duration of the Editor’s mammoth 2hour performance. Hands moved fine, so did arms. Head movement was acceptable. Feet and Legs? No! Unbelievably static, the only exception was the immediate first two or three rows of spectators which seemed to suss out jumping on the spot. Having said all this, I’m not sure I’d have jumped about like an idiot given the opportunity. The Editors sound is neither frantic, nor is it sleep inducing. They hit a fine balance of electricity and melody which apparently renders the lower half of your body unable to move. The only gig I have been to that was more centred on standing around was Gary Numan in Newcastle last year (which was amazing, though equally still). Speaking of Numan, and thus synths, when the hell did Editors put such an emphasis on synthesisers? Their performance was littered with them. To their credit, they were tight, had an amazing sound quality and entertaining stage visuals. The synth’s role to a large extent was to bulk out their sound. Yet, I can’t help but feel that even without the synths the sound would have been full, due to; delightful bass playing, on occasion luscious sounding piano, and their now characteristic guitar tone. All this and I haven’t even mentioned Tom Smith and his raspy, deep, belting voice. I’d argue Tom is the closest our generation has had to a ‘Morrissey’. A popular voice you instantly recognise. It doesn’t disappoint live.

Curiously, throughout the night a trend developed. The crowd in general reacted much more positively to the Editors earlier material. Highlight songs of the gig included first album tracks such as ‘Munich’ and ‘All Sparks’. The second album tracks ‘Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors’ and ‘End has a Start’ also went down a treat. The Third album material however, though still good (in a looser sense) suffered from under-familiarity; and to a lesser degree lack of the Editors characteristic guitar tone. Furthermore I was slightly scared by one trancey-er, all electro, track. All in all it was a fine performance; but, a performance for the most part so unimposing it felt like listening to a CD. If I’d stayed at home with a CD at least I could have sat down.

3/5