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02/02/2008

Scottish pop rockers Idlewild brought their live show to the Hexagon, and surprisingly not – as guitarist Allan Stewart observed – to Rivermead, the town’s only legitimate “big” venue. However, the masses of seats left unsold up in the balcony bore testimony to the fact that this was probably a good decision, as a sparsely-populated Rivermead would have looked far less forgiving than the warm, comfy confines of the Hexagon.

The Caledonian theme was set for the evening by opening act Sons and Daughters, singers Adele Bethel (formerly of Arab Strap) and Scott Paterson – who also played some fantastic guitar – were all about a brooding, countrified air of style and panache. Looking suitably retro, the band swapped instruments around and stomped out their tunes (Johnny Cash was the only song I knew, and it was ace) in their rich and impassioned Scottish accents. It was very Nick Cave in places, and the songs were strong enough to completely hold the attention of the audience who, as Scott pointed out, were there to see Idlewild and not really anyone else. Ailidh Lennon played bass and mandolin, and David Gow gave a mini-masterclass in atmospheric percussion with Adele and Ailidh on stage. They struck me as being like a dark, twisted and tragically beautiful version of the Corrs, although the music was, unsurprisingly, much more worthwhile. The kids clapped, the stage was cleared.

Idlewild’s latest release “Warnings/Promises” seems to have been tempered by the time they’ve spent in the States. There’s a definite Americana vibe about many of the songs, and the fans who had turned out to see the firebrand Scottish punk rockers of old (me, basically) were handed only snippets of their explosive past lives in the shape of “A Modern Way of Letting Go” and the final song of the show “You Held the World in Your Arms”. In between they played current single “I Understand It” and a smattering of songs from throughout their career, most of which were led by acoustic melodies (a seven minute white-noise instrumental section apart), so as a live spectacle it was more a faithful reproduction of songs. The crowd ebbed and flowed in it’s enthusiasm, but were kept interested more by the dramatic light show than anything else.

If the gig wasn’t the most exciting show, it was rescued by Roddy Woombles voice, which wasn’t just good, it was other-worldly. His in-between-song banter with the crowd destroyed any myths of him being “difficult and moody”, too: he has a warmth and humour that couldn’t have just been put on for the benefit of the crowd. “We’re pleased to be sharing a dressing room at the home of snooker. Punk rock.” His harmonies with Rod Jones took the music from being mainstreamy, mid-westerny glimpses of snapshots of sepia stills to being performances worth the admissions price alone, even if a lot of the tunes lost much of their value in the live arena. Idlewild are not – these days at least, it would appear – as good live as they are in the studio.

The mosh pit that formed at the front sucked up most of the crowd from the back and sides of the hall and they jumped up and down faithfully throughout. The band enjoyed themselves, too, looking relaxed and content to wander around aimlessly at times, apparently lost in the music, but I got the feeling that after touring stadia with the likes of Muse and Pearl Jam, a gig at a provincial theatre more renowned for it’s pantomimes than it’s pogo-ing crowds just wasn’t enough to bring out the best they had to offer. I wish I had seen them in full fettle, as the glimpses I got were tantalising but ultimately no more than teasing. Some beautiful melodies, some inspired and intriguing lyrics, two songs that “rocked” and a shedload of rockstar charisma. In light of “I Understand It”, perhaps if the band were still fervently seeking comprehension and explanation they may have done more than simply lay out their wares on a selection of rugs gaffer-taped to the stage at the Hexagon.

Review by Alex Kaupa
Photos by Alex Flahive
Copyright Josaka
Date 15 April 2005

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