Category: Music

On the opening night of their UK tour, promoting their eponymously titled new album, The Subways have a surprise in store from the outset as drummer Josh Morgan is beating the skins again after a recent break due to illness.

With the original triumvirate restored, they waste no time in instigating intense moshpit action by playing old favourite ‘We Don’t Need Money to Have a Good Time’, a nostalgic ode for many in this crowd who would probably yearn for a return to summer nights as a teenager, when you could chill in a park until dusk and beyond.

The Subways as well as marking their new album are keen to reflect on the tenth anniversary of their spunky debut, ‘Young for Eternity’, a much hyped record on release but only created enough ripples in the charts to ensure they build a solid fanbase as opposed to hitting the major leagues. I also believe that because the template for future albums adopted a similar path, it’s hard to differentiate between their material in terms of standard. Four albums of affable pop-rock keeps the core fans entertained but an attempt to diversify might have led to a shift in success and critical acclaim.

However, they charge through songs with such gusto and intensity, the crowd aren’t overly concerned by the set not delivering any leftfield tunes, or rarely mixing up the tempo. It’s a case of sticking to a tried and tested formula: songs with simplistic melodies, banal lyrics but triggers collective bouncing and jostling throughout.

Signature hit ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Queen is played mid-set; a suggestion in the band’s confidence in their newer material is how many of their better known songs are played early. It’s an effective ploy as it ushers in crowd engagement early and this shows no sign of abating.

When it comes to lists such as ‘The Greatest Songs of All Time’ and ‘The Greatest Albums Ever’, The Subways are going to be struggling to make the longlist, but in the category of “throwing a rock ‘n’ roll party”, The Subways are in the upper echelons. After all, it only cost sixteen quid to have a good time. And closing with ‘It’s a Party’ suggests they would be in accordance with that viewpoint.

Reunions tend to either be a cash-in on past glories, fun but lacking genuine validity, or they can be an opportunity to showcase an evolution within the band as well as providing a timely reminder of the bands’ past. Idlewild, who have reconvened after a self-imposed five-year hiatus, definitely fall into the latter category.

From the outset of their show at The Institute, the power-pop of ‘Nothing We Can Do About It’ indicates Idlewild have expanded their instrumental repertoire, adding multi-instrumentalists, Lucci Rossi, Hannah Fisher and Andrew Mitchell, to their original three founder members. It facilitates a chance to rework older tracks, a fact reflected on the band’s biggest hit, ‘You Held the World in Your Arms’, which has morphed into sounding like folk-tinged euphoria. Next, they seamlessly move into a punchier version of newbie ‘Collect Yourself’, offering guitarist Rod Jones an opportunity to exhibit his full arsenal.

After the crunching, spiky old favourite ‘Little Discourage’ we get treated to the vocal delicacies of singer, Roddy Woomble, who, even approaching forty, remains svelte and hits the harmonies with as much beauty as ever, especially on the elegiac new song ‘Every Little Means Trust’. ‘Live in a Hiding Place’ and ‘Love Steals Us from Loneliness’ only add to the feel good factor permeating the room.

Midway through the set and Idlewild shift the tempo up a gear, harking back to their punk roots, they play early single ‘Film for the Future’ with machine-like precision before segueing into a snarling, nasty ‘Captain’, leading to the evenings first sings of moshpit carnage. A self-declared rock medley to remind the audience that Idlewild haven’t forgotten their earlier incarnation as a post-hard-core/punk group, although representation of this period was a little sparse given the set’s length of 22 tracks.

‘Roseability’ and ‘American English’ are sung with soaring grandeur by band and crowd, before closing with ‘utopia’, a new song that underlines the rich depth of Idlewild’s current sound.

The band return for a four-track encore, hitting a cacophonous peak with the turbo-charged blast of ‘Modern Way of Letting Go’, inciting a full scale circle pit that took no prisoners. And, in keeping with the evening’s varied tone, they close the set with the plaintive melancholy of ‘In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction.

Idlewild’s career is a fascinating one as they have managed, in a way Oasis didn’t, to evolve their sound and adapt to personnel changes, commercial fluctuations and a changing musical climate. This return not only underlined the strong back catalogue they’ve assembled over two decades, but showcased a band who have discovered their most complete and diverse sound to date. This was a band revitalised by a break, not intent on recapturing their past.

After calling an indefinite hiatus in 2010, Idlewild remerged last month with their first album in five years, ‘Everything Ever Written’, a collection of songs they’ve recorded in the last couple of years, on both sides of the Atlantic. The recording process saw two new members, Luciano Rossi and Andrew Mitchell (not the ‘Plebgate’ one), complement the three original founding fathers of singer Roddy Woomble, guitarist Rod Jones and drummer Colin Newton. As a result, Idlewild’s new material sounds more complete than previous offerings.

During their sabbatical, the original trio ploughed separate paths, with Woomble and Jones both releasing solo output that was heavily influenced by folk music. A dissatisfaction with what Jones believed to be ‘a saturated market for folk music’ led him to form a band ‘The Birthday Suit’, who produced a pair of albums before Idlewild reconvened. Woomble himself had used the break to work in a collective as well as on his own. Ultimately, given the hiatus was called amid no acrimony, it wasn’t a tough decision for the band to reconvene, and they believed that their hardcore fanbase still had an appetite for new Idlewild songs.

The band embarked on a jaunt around the Scottish Highlands roadtesting new material alongside a vast and rich back catalogue. However, this month sees the band’s first ‘full’ UK tour for with stops at Glasgow (twice), Birmingham (a review coming up soon), Manchester, London, Belfast and Dublin.

In an age of banality, dumbing down, instant gratification, there’s something pleasing about the return of a band who have always brought a literate profundity to our ears, an intellectual depth missing from much of today’s offerings.

Store Street, the home of this year’s Warehouse Project is an odd, sometimes scary place. Situated in a disused car park underneath Piccadilly Station in Manchester city centre its crumbling arches and dripping ceilings wouldn’t make Jack the Ripper feel out of place. Yet it’s Manchester’s home for top DJs and electronic musicians including MK, Chase and Status, and many more. Tonight was the turn of ambient and downtempo artist Bonobo, which in the dark dungeon-like scenery of the Warehouse Project may be an odd fit, but he brings his style of ambient chilled electronic to brighten up this dingy corner of Manchester.

Bonobo first appeared in 1999 and since then has gained traction in the electronic music scene, particularly 2010’s ‘Black Sand’ and follow up ‘The North Borders’. This show is near the end of a two year mammoth tour which has seen him play across the world to over 2 million people.

His live shows have become an important part of his appeal, choosing not to simply play his music solo, instead bringing a live band to truly bring out his sounds. With flutes, violins, saxophones and a variety of other instruments, Bonobo’s live shows comes closer to watching an orchestra perform than a dance musician.

Appearing one by one for captivating opener ‘Cirrus’, each member of Bonobo’s band add a layer of sound building up a wondrous wall of sound in one of the best openers I’ve seen. The combination of live violinists for track ‘Kiara’ is a unique and brilliant experience and combines both electronic sounds and live orchestration, which many may argue are polar opposites.

Later on there are live vocals from Szjerede for Bonobo’s calmer moments such as ‘Towers’ and ‘Stay the Same’ which still entice the audience, despite the lack of beat. These proved to be some of the highlights of the set, which is testament for a venue known for its fast and loud dance music.

However it’s not all solemn and reflective, as tracks such as ‘Kong’ and ‘Ten Tigers’ get the packed out crowd moving. Other highlights include ‘Flashlight’ from the forthcoming EP, which shows a bright future for the musician, further enhancing his staple of atmospheric electronic music.

As the band leave the stage at the end of their set to loud cheers from the grateful, and very sweaty audience, it’s clear Bonobo’s live show is a journey of what can be achieved in modern music. From raving one minute, to reflecting emotionally the next, Bonobo’s shows are unique in showing the power and beauty of dance music. Never before has a sweaty disused car park been so beautiful.