IDLES Bring Joy and Catharsis to Union Transfer
by george Fenton
Tell those who hate, to their face, why they’re wrong. And then love them anyway. If they don’t listen, find people who will. Build a community around them, and the rest will follow.
These are roughly the words IDLES singer Joe Talbot threw out to the crowd before launching into their song “Danny Nedleko,” an anti-xenophobia track that encourages everyone to overlook societal labels and recognize our shared humanity. Last night IDLES, along with Preoccupations, took on Philadelphia for the second night of their east coast leg of their U.S. tour. Last time IDLES were in Philly, just over a year ago after the release of the sophomore record Joy as an Act of Resistance, they were playing a well-attended show at First Unitarian Church. Now, after a year of emotional outpouring, global touring, open dialogue, and constant joy, they return with a sold out show at Union Transfer.
photo courtesy of Chris Sikich
As has been the case with each show they’ve played since the release of their second album, IDLES opened with their droning post-punk song “Colossus.” A sort of blood-letting track that allows the audience to meditate on darker parts of themselves, their world, and their relationships before swelling up in a cyclone of sound that won’t let up until the house light rise back up. After “Colossus” the band launched into “Heel / Heal,” the opening track of their debut record Brutalism. Immediately the drums got everyone moving, until the room boiled over in a frenzy to the exclamation “I’M DONE!”
Throughout the course of the night the band oscillated between their two records enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but also went as far as to cut up small jams of covers into their setlist ranging from “You’re Beautiful,” “Living on a Prayer,” and a nod to the city with Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia.” These small moments added levity to an already purgative evening and brought through what I love about the band and that’s their sincere gratitude. IDLES want you to enjoy their set as it seems they love playing it, constantly reminding the audience, the event staff, and whoever needs to hear it that their set is a public display of affection to anyone listening.
photo courtesy of Seth Kligerman
After mangled bodies, hugs, a wall a death, a shirt donation from an audience member to Joe Talbot, and enough sweat to fill a pool, IDLES close out their set with their final track on Joy: Rottweiler, which brings everyone to their feet one last time until a cacophony of sound encased the room.
Watching IDLES play live is a brutal, hour-and-a-half long therapy session in how to express cathartic joy. The band are the sound to these more-often-than-not exhausting times. I hate when that expression is used, but at the moment I can’t think of anything more rewarding or appropriate for them. In a world where each day there’s another shooting, another act that sets back those on the margins, another day of hate with no end in sight, we need a band like IDLES who, even if only for a night, can let a room full of strangers hold each other and scream their triumphant happiness into the rafters. And when you feel that kind resilient joy you can’t help but think if we keep this up, maybe we’ll be alright.
photo courtesy of Lisa Walker