Interpol, Albert Hall. 3rd September 2017

Something of a blast from the past tonight watching Interpol. It's been 14 years since I last saw them live. Back then they were third on the bill behind The Datsuns (anyone remember them?) and The incredible Polyphonic Spree. A lot has changed since then. They were seen as moody American pretenders and generally dismissed. A decade plus on they make much more sense, still moody, still American of course, but statuesque, defiant and thanks to the fantastic sound inside Albert Hall, downright powerful!! I still miss Carlos not playing bass, but perhaps the loss of his poster boy goth aesthetic is a good thing, less of a distraction for these lost classics. Not to do any disservice to David Pajo who is excellent on bass tonight, which is just as well, as for me Interpol's sound is centred around the bass and Paul's voice giving everything weight. Throw in Dan's beautiful guitar, not to mention some very fancy footwork and it makes for a band clearly enjoying themselves after all these years. Tonight was a Anniversary show, 15 years for their debut, an album I love, but there's so much more to love about this band and this evening Manchester poured all its love on a very deserving bunch of foreigners, their namesake need not be concerned.