After watching Idols play, it’s easy to indulge in hyperbole. If you’re looking for concert energy, rawness, and showmanship, Any What other band would be so committed to the live experience of 2024?
The British post-punk quintet of vocalist Joe Talbot, guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Keenan, bassist Adam Devonshire, and drummer John Beavis are a swirling mass of passion and intense emotion, with heavy rhythms. section, screaming guitars, and Talbot’s aggressive shouts. Sang the slogan.
They released their fifth album “Tangk” in February and quickly rose to fame. By inviting Radiohead producer Nigel Goderich and hip-hop maestro Kenny Beats to co-produce with Bowen, the team played with a deeper sonic canvas than on their previous albums, giving the songs more life and punk It made the hook more funky in a way that gave it a feel. While being invited on mainstream platforms like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Towards the end of their U.S. tour, “Tangk,” Idols played an intense set Friday night at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. The 13,000-seat outdoor venue, known for receiving numerous noise complaints from nearby residents, began shaking as soon as the band started playing. settles into a slow, drone-building position with “Tangk” opener “Idea 01,” before ramping up the intensity into fan favorite “Colossus.”
The entire show was a masterclass of stage presence, with the group’s propulsive rhythm allowing for controlled chaos. Late in the show, Talbot, nicknamed “The Barking Dog of Newport” by Bowen, paced the floor like a welterweight preparing for his final bout, shadow boxing and miming jumping rope to stay in the zone. I started singing. During the song, he was moving his whole body. He brandished a microphone, wrapped a cord around his arm like a street preacher, and spit on his chin between verses. The long-haired Keenan was constantly headbanging, stopping to jump into the audience and crowdsurf. Additionally, Bowen, Talbot, and Keenan danced non-stop, often at risk of tripping over each other or getting tangled in cords. Meanwhile, Devonshire continued to shake their hips, with Beavis being the essential stirring backbone, keeping the rest of the musicians in order as they bounced around.
Remarkably, they kept their spirits up throughout the 24-song, two-hour show, peppering their career-spanning set with six “Tangk” songs. Highlights include a particularly moody performance of the quiet and loud “Car Crash,” a heart-pounding rendition of Talbot’s revival anthem “The Wheel,” and the thunderous “War,” which inspired a mosh pit. Includes early singles such as “Never Fight a Man with a”. Perm. ”
Group live performances are fun, chaotic, and feel good. dangerous in a way rarely seen in modern theater. Talbot’s lyrics lend themselves well to being shouted by a rousing crowd, and although some of the Anglicisms are somewhat lost in translation (a bunch of New Yorkers shouting in unison about “the best way to scare the Tories”) Although it’s a bit strange to hear the message come across in the “I’m Not a Good Guy”, it’s mostly righteous left-handed anger. “Fuck the King,” “Fuck the Police” and “Viva Palestine” were shouted throughout the night, as Talbot introduced songs about addiction, the plight of immigrants, love and drugs.
Idols on stage felt like a powder keg about to explode, turning the Queens crowd into socially conscious soccer hooligans that night.
Opening the show were the recently reunited New York mainstays The Walkmen, who, despite looking a little grey, performed songs such as “The Rat,” “Angela Surf City,” and “What’s In It For?” The band played a refreshing and lively sound that echoed the sounds of 19th century indie rock anthems such as “Me”.