IDLES
Marble Factory, Bristol
Cast your mind back to the late 2000’s, and imagine yourself in the dingy disco room of a pool hall in Bristol. There, you might find IDLES’ Joe Talbot and Adam Devonshire (Dev) running their ‘debauched’ club night early in their career, surrounded by the likes of Johnny Marr, The Cribbs, and Dizziee Rascal (though maybe not staying too long).
Talbot cites that the early-years pool halls were some of the more intimidating gigs they have faced. Now, having conquered the international stages of Glastonbury, Jimmy Fallon (and even CBeebies) the band know what they want to say, how they want to say it, and fear no stage. 'Love is the Fing' is travelling worldwide.
TANGK is IDLES’ fifth and latest album released on the 16th of February, and arguably the most delicate to date. Powerhouse-blazing tracks like ‘Gift Horse’, ‘Dancer’ and ‘Grace’ (the latter featuring an AI-powered deepfake of Coldplay’s Chris Martin from ‘Yellow’), were released as singles prior to the album launch. The tear-jerking ethereal piano-flight of ‘A Gospel’ and the trip-hop-esque melancholy of ‘Roy’, pay testament to the mastery of Joe’s songwriting, the skill of his vocal range, and the maturity of IDLES’ sound.
While IDLES are known for their ‘violent’, raw and explosive sounds, songwriting and performance which, this is driven by passion, rather than anger. In other words, like atoms we collide, we conflict, we clash, and, we come together.
“Launching TANGK is fun, it’s magic, it’s doing the right things, at the right time, and with the right people, you know?"
TALK TO NOBODY - Joe Talbot
The IDLES charge is electric and the energy unmatched to any performance we have seen in Bristol so far. We were privileged to be a fly on the wall of the balcony at the Marble Factory for their latest gig. The band energised mosh pits, crowd surfing and an unrelenting and visceral urge to dance and move. People perched on the shoulders of others and hurdled over the barriers beyond the front row. Newly purchased TANGK vinyl were thrown about, reaching new heights (hopefully surviving the gig), and even guitarist Lee Kiernan plunged into the swelling crowd – only traceable by following his guitar cable into the chaos. There’s nothing quite like it.
The new albums overwhelming mantra that ‘Love is the ‘Fing’ demonstrates that among the chaos and confusion of the world we live in, love prevails. In time of turbulence and unrest, people are on edge, people are unhappy, and people are fed up with the world around them. There’s a lot of anxiety around, and this is particularly pertinent with Joe and guitarist, Mark Bowen, recently experiencing fatherhood with newfound responsibility and reflection towards the world our children will inherit. But, love is the thing that brings us together, charges our passion brings change.
"It's our best album, very happy with it. I'm really proud of the boys and what they've built and we want to do it justice."
TALK TO NOBODY - Joe Talbot
TANGK’s ‘POP POP POP’, featuring the phrase ‘Freudenfreude’ (rather than ‘Shadenfreude’) – meaning to find joy in the success, not suffering, of others – all the more exemplifies the importance of reassessing received terms or phrases and taking charge of the vocabulary and the messages we put to the world. While on stage Joe affirmed this belief through a powerful monologue citing support for Gaza -met by a roar from the crowd.
It’s a cliché, but it’s true, and it’s empowering. IDLES have always been prized for their ability to critically and creatively examine and reinterpret cliches and stereotypes, igniting what could be platitudes as meaningful, charged guiding principles for being kind in the mess of the present world. After all that’s been said and done, love is, and should be, the ‘fing.
TANGK is testament to cutting through the noise, working the industry, sticking to your creation, trusting the process and your fanbase to appreciate the results. And what’s better than doing the right things, at the right time, and with the right people, huh?
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