Review: Idles at Rabbit Rabbit
Jonny Leather: Shortly after arriving at Rabbit Rabbit on Sept. 14, I found myself struggling to channel out the distraction of being surrounded by a crowd of thousands in order to focus on opening act English Teacher. The debut record by the quartet from Leeds had just won the Mercury Prize for best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland, and I’d been listening to This Could Be Texas repeatedly throughout the week leading up to the show. For as much as I was there for the evening’s headliner, I was nearly as excited to catch the young genre-defying Brits.
Opening its set with its dreamy, post-punk hit “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab,” English Teacher came out strong. Throughout the short set, the group continued to showcase its stylistic range via other standout songs from the recently honored record, including set highlight “I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying.” But all the while, I found myself feeling detached and wishing that I was witnessing the performance in a more intimate venue.
Such large spaces can prevent such an unfortunate obstacle for artists and fans to overcome for a deeper connection. And then Idles took to the stage, and suddenly that feeling of disconnect was totally obliterated. Even with a set opener as uncharacteristically atmospheric as “IDEA 01,” the energy the band was exuding from the stage was enrapturing.
Edwin Arnaudin: Our colleague/photographer Justin Bowman has been raving about Idles since they played The Orange Peel in October 2021. His report from that show was one of a band that seemed destined for bigger stages, so Rabbit Rabbit seemed like an ideal fit.
What were your expectations going into their set? As with me, it sounds like they were exceeded by a significant amount.
JL: I've been a fan since the release of the band's perfectly-entitled 2018 breakout LP Joy as an Act of Resistance. But for as much as I enjoy the recordings, they've also always been a band I had to be in the right mood to listen to, due to the sheer intensity of it all. I knew that would equate to an excellent live show. I've consistently heard nothing but glowing reviews of concerts they've played, and even in video recordings for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and KEXP, the band exhibited incredible energy and charisma. My expectations were rather high for the Rabbit Rabbit performance, and yet still they were blown away.
I've continued to process the evening and attempt to pinpoint exactly what it is that was so exceptional, beyond the group's unrelenting energy. What aspect of the performance were you most impressed with?
EA: Definitely the band’s steady movements — especially coming off a Hopscotch Music Festival where there was a frustrating static nature to most of the acts I wound up seeing. Idles’ sound can get a little monotonous at times and I honestly felt fulfilled after an hour, but the controlled chaos of the band’s actions kept me invested. How can one not be transfixed by the sight of guitarist Mark Bowen wheeling across the stage in a billowing dress while continuing to shred?
However, when the songwriting and instrumentation clicked in tandem with these visual treats, the group’s greatness fully came to the forefront. I’ll let you add your own influences that shone through, but for me they’re blending punk traditions of The Clash with the social commentary and sing-talk banter of Blur, whose “Country House” and “Parklife” are particularly evident in Idles' “Model City,” which sadly was omitted from the night’s setlist. And yet Idles never feel overly beholden to these inspirations. It really does seem like their own distinct style.
JL: That's one of the things that I find most fascinating about the sound of Idles: It's a collision course of disparate influences that's packaged so cohesively. Witnessing it live really helped shine a light on that.
I grew up listening to a lot of early British punk rock, and I hear a lot of that in Joe Talbot's gruff sing-shout vocals and impassioned anti-fascist lyrics. Much like Joe Strummer (The Clash), Steve Ignorant (Crass) and Mark E. Smith (The Fall), Talbot comes across as a voice for the working class who’s determined to empower people against the toxic stew of ignorance and hate that continued to tear at the fabric of society. But unlike those deeply influential vocalists, Talbot has found a way to infuse expressions of angst with an uplifting joy, and that feels refreshing.
While the socio-political nature of the music, and husky vocal delivery of Talbot evoke the spirit of punk, the members of Idles have been pretty insistent that they're not a punk band — and with good reason. They've sculpted a sound that's far more expansive than that, and it was especially evident hearing it all through powerful speakers at maximum volume.
For as much as Talbot and the twin guitar attack of Bowen and Lee Kiernan commanded the greatest stage presence with their unrelenting motion, it was the propulsive rhythm section of bassist Adam Devonshire and drummer Jon Beavis that propelled the songs to such formidable heights. The driving motorik rhythms and the swelling bursts of the guitars combined to evoke the sound of industrial machinery in a way that instantly brought to mind both the classic Chicago post-hardcore scene (Shellac, Big Black, The Jesus Lizard) and post-punk revival of the early-aughts.
Between the multiple journeys by Bowen and Kiernan into the crowd to Talbot's interactions with fans, Idles seemed to be determined to connect with the audience in a way that can often be lacking at rock shows. Did you have a favorite moment where that bond was on full display?
EA: The obvious one is probably also the best. A young man in the front row had his "Pls sign my birthday dress" sign acknowledged by Talbot, who then invited him onstage and followed through. The frontman then read aloud the message scrawled upon the garment — "Drag is not a crime" — embraced the fan, and instructed everyone in the first few rows to make sure the honoree could safely crowd surf throughout the next number.
It was such a wholesome, no-nonsense encounter, supported by artists and attendees alike; the kind of moment that gives one faith in humanity (or at least the segment that listens to loud, cathartic music).
How about you?
JL: Agreed. The spontaneity of it all makes it magical. I can only imagine that when you're a band on the road, performing a similar set of songs night after night, you're seeking out that special moment that can't be recreated night after night. Concerts are obviously about the music, but they've also always been about community, and Idles gets that.
(Photos by Justin Bowman)
