IDLES, Victoria Warehouse. 30th January 2022

I had a bit of a half and half experience last time I saw IDLES. The band were great, the crowd seemed to have a surprisingly high volume of pillocks. I thought they’d have been better in a smaller space too. That was Manchester Academy. Tonight we’re in the even bigger Victoria Warehouse and I’m sorry, but this is not my favourite gig venue. It might work for other events, but for bands… or rather their audiences, it’s a bit shit. A nightmare to get to and a pain to move around. Stick a loud band in here though and thanks to us all be encased in what’s essentially a large concrete box, the sound isn’t bad. I think IDLES would sound pretty brilliant wherever you put them though, from a festival field to a phone box. They, sound, MASSIVE! It’s inevitable they find themselves here, there’s not many venues left in Manchester that can contain them and this is sold out. Not just tonight. THREE NIGHTS! Credit it where it’s due though, when I’ve been here before it was shockingly oversold (PJ Harvey was especially bad), but it seems they might have reduced the capacity as there’s definitely a little more wiggle room. Which is useful for support Jehnny Beth who brings her latest brutal industrial rave score and gets the crowd warmed up. IDLES are getting bigger and better. The fourth album CRAWLER has had some mixed reviews (although mostly great), for me it’s their best release to date. Talbot is a powerful frontman but fuck me, the energy the band has is just incredible. Even the slower songs sound immense. Beavis hits the skins so hard he’s like a one man artillery. He the foundation. You could lay anything over that but what better than fucking gloriously distorted guitars that riff and wail beautifully. By the time you even get to Talbot’s aggressively poignant lyrics it’s already a heady mix. Especially right down the front where I slightly surprisingly find myself.

We can’t make as much noise as the band, but we can sing along. Not with the chest swelling dominance of Talbot, but sing we do! It’s pretty special, but when a bloody mirrorball lights up for Beachland Ballroom well I’m gone, it’s glorious. I recall IDLES pushing against the punk moniker they were tagged with early on. I’m not surprised, it’s ridiculously reductive. This is an expansive sound they’ve grown into and they’ve done the unexpected tonight. Made me really enjoy a gig at Victoria Warehouse. Although charging £7 for a pint in the arse end of nowhere is a bit naughty. Maybe it’s to pay for those tele’s they’ve put up in the bar at the back which admittedly are quite a good idea. Old songs or new, it’s a fantastic set that touches every base and every album. If you’ve dismissed IDLES up to now, I tell you you’ve made a huge error in judgement. Give CRAWLER a spin and buy a gig ticket as soon as you can. This was a truly great gig and not a pillock in sight. Amazing.