IDLES riot with Love is The Fing Tour in Seattle

Last time we saw IDLES was for their sold-out show at Neumos May 2019 but things have changed a little since then for the British rock band formed in 2009. They released Ultra Mono, Crawler, and their latest, Tangk, which have kicked their music into the mainstream. We knew this was going to happen as their live performance was one of our favorites that year. The band consists of Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Jon Beavis (drums).

We headed down to the historic Paramount Theater to catch the first of two sold-out nights in Seattle. This was a much larger room, but we were very excited to see how the dynamic would work in this space. We knew that more and more people would discover them and that the venues would become larger. The world has caught up to their talent and uniqueness and amazing way of creating music. This would be a show to remember, just like that first time standing in Neumos and feeling the crowd and just being in the moment, just at a larger scale.

IDLES took the stage little after eight to everyone’s surprise of how early it was but this made sense given the show lasted more than two hours. Joe Talbot stood in the front wearing a white t-shirt with black pants with a bandanna and looked out in amazement. The band kicked off their set with “IDEA 01” and “Colossus,” which is one of my absolute favorites of theirs. As it went on, so did the intensity of Talbot’s voice and the band’s playing.

After that “Gift Horse” followed and guitarist Lee Kiernan crowed surfed in the front as he kept playing at some point trying to stand up and actually succeeding for few moments as he rocked on. This is something that he is known for, and we were expecting this moment as it was a highlight last time, we saw them as well.

Intensity rose as the set moved forward and fans were giving it their all as “I’m Scum,” and “1049 Gotho,” played. Before starting “The Wheel” Talbot talked about the time in his life where he was lost and getting into trouble constantly for drugs and violence. ‘I was a scared little boy in a man’s body. Then I found these guys and things got better and then we all found you guys and things got even more better. This one’s for anyone out there struggling.’

Guitarist Mark Bowen also jumped in the pit while “Benzococaine” was playing and created a circle around him with fans while still playing his guitar. This was another highlight of the night as the dedicated fans gathered around and patiently waited to explode on Bowen’s cue. Talbot sang the words ‘There goes my hero,” before stopping and thanking the security for keeping everyone safe tonight and went into “Gratitude.” More mayhem broke loose when “Divide and Conquer” played after that and things came down a little as they went on to “Pop Pop Pop,” which Talbot wrote about his daughter.

Before they played “Samaritans” Talbot took a moment to chat with his new friends, (the fans) and particularly noticed a young kid on their dad’s shoulders. They chatted and told the 8 year-old, ‘I want you to remember that whatever you go through in life that you are not alone. Never forget that there’s always going to be someone there for you to talk to. Knowing that can save your life and you might save someone else’s. He dedicated the song to the girl’s father, ‘This one is dedicated to you James, and only you.’

No one can deny Talbot’s incredible persona and electric stage presence. He makes it look so simple as he stands there in confidence as he exudes power and understanding at the same time. The whole band is the same way, they seem to play hardcore music but at the same time it feels soft and comforting. Perhaps it’s because they’re not afraid to be themselves and to acknowledge their vulnerable side and chose not to pretend that all is fine.  We’re sad, but we have each other. We have this moment and we need to be positive and look further in the distance and hope things will change for all of us.

The band raged on with “Never Fight a Man With a Perm,” followed by their hit single from this record, “Dancer,” which was accompanied by vocals from James Murphy and Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem. Talbot stopped to speak and to say that the world is not exactly how we want it and until it is we have this and each other. To remember that freedom of speech is the ability to listen first. He thanked the crowd for being there and dedicated the next song “Danny Nedelko,” to the immigrants that make our countries better and to all the Palestinians who are dying.

The show ended with “Rottweiler” as Talbot beat on his chest with his fist and stomped on the floor with furry one last time. It was so incredible to catch the band play live again and to witness their success on this level. It was even better to notice that they haven’t lost what made them stand out in the first place. They have found a way to balance who they are and not jeopardizing any of it as they become popular. This is a band that will just keep getting better and better and we will just keep following them wherever they go.