On Thursday night, at the final gig in a trio of sold-out shows at the 3Olympia, IDLES encouraged crowd surfing among the standing attendees. Frontman, Joe Talbot, declared, “This is a beautiful metaphor for empathy and strength in community. Keepin’ people up!” The band themselves got involved in the surfing — especially lead guitarist Mark Bowen — but more than that, their music, lyrics, and energy created a united atmosphere of love. Love for music and love for people.
IDLES opened the night with “IDEA01”. While Talbot beat his chest with his fist, the song’s pulsing baseline couldn’t come fast enough for a crowd already very much alive, sporting a healthy amount of merch and rearing to show their knowledge of the band’s anthemic lyrics. The political impetus behind many of the tracks in their flawlessly-constructed setlist resonated with every member of the diverse crowd. Often aligned with the punk and post-punk movements because of their political lyrics and frontman Joe Talbot’s signature growl, they have over the years repeatedly denied these claims. Jumping out on stage exactly one minute before 9pm, their punctuality, the members’ palpable joy, and the tour’s name “Love is the Thing” all seem to support that they are indeed something a little bit different. The space they inhabit — somewhere between hard and soft — is well reflected by the massive soft-edged, quilted letters spelling out IDLES behind the band throughout the performance.
About TANGK, their fifth, most recent album, IDLES wrote on their socials: “I needed love. So I made it. I gave love out to the world and it feels like magic. This is our album of gratitude and power. All love songs. All is love.” Both on stage and in the crowd, that sentiment was undeniably present. With tracks like “I am Scum” and “Jungle” turning Talbot’s middle finger to the ceiling, the setlist’s spattering of tracks like “Mother” really dig down to the centre of the band’s mission (“Sexual violence doesn’t start and end with rape/ It starts in our books and behind our school gates/ Men are scared women will laugh in their face/ Whereas women are scared it’s their lives men will take”). At times I found myself surprisingly emotional.
In a time of escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric, because of ignorant far-right fearmongering, IDLES had every voice in the building honouring “a beautiful immigrant”, the protagonist of their 2018 hit, “Danny Nedelko”. With the entire crowd affirming that “He’s made of flesh, he’s made of love,” it clarified that the gig, like IDLES themselves, was just about love and music. And that love, enjoyed as a collective, is what’s missing when you listen to them at home — they thrive performing live.
The success of the band’s performance comes down to an undeniable rapport between artist and attendee as well as a clear desire to see everyone on their best form. Whether doing a handstand, a one-armed push up, singing a verse of Sinatra’s ‘It Was A Very Good Year’, or introducing numerous “anti-fascist songs,” Talbot had everyone on the same side. From Adam Devonshire’s hip-focused dancing to Mark Bowen’s agile legs springing about the stage, all members seemed to come together to form one cohesive body. This effect culminated in IDLES inviting their support, Chalk, out on stage for their last song, “Rottweiler”. It was lovely to see the admiration IDLES had for their support, given when I first heard IDLES live, they were the support act, playing with LCD Soundsystem in Malahide Castle this past June. The main act, who collaborated with IDLES on the track “Dancer” were playing their largest solo gig ever. At IDLES’ own gig their support, Chalk, perfectly warmed up the crowd. For me, their best songs were pared-back — focusing on drums and a synth pad (with a little bit of frontman frolicking). Their disorientating, monochromatic light show perfectly complemented their music while leaving room for the colourful night ahead. IDLES ended the night with their support on stage, everyone chanting “Ceasefire now” for the Palestinian cause and an Irish flag draped beside Jon Beavis’ drumkit that read ‘F**k the King’.
Chalk are playing in Whelans in April. IDLES will continue to play shows around the world until January. They’ll be back again in time for summer, kicking things off at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival in early June. See them if you can and remember, love really is the thing.
