Tom Talks #35: IDLES: LOVE IS THE FING TOUR - 02 Academy, Birmingham on 4/12/24 (A Show to Remember!)

 

IDLES are one of the hottest live acts in the U.K. of the last decade. They shut down Glastonbury this year, with many stating they should be future headliners. I previously saw the band in 2022 at Primavera Sound, which was a wild and brilliant show. It marked one of the best performances I'd ever seen.

This year has seen the release of their second no. 1 album 'TANGK', which marked a change in direction. Moving away from the anger engrained in their previous material, I was intrigued to see how this would translate to the live show. I'm happy to say, it did not disappoint.

Before the main act came to the stage we witnessed the support act, Willie J Healey. I'd heard of this artist but had not previously listened to them. Having enjoyed what I'd caught before the show, I was expecting a good showing and that was what we got. His performance was full of passion, great guitar riffs, and good interactions with the crowd. 

Willie J Healey

Having previously supported Florence + The Machine and Arctic Monkeys, he knew how to play the supporting role well. From the melodic, Beatles-esque 'Sure Feels Good' to the anthemic 'My Room', this guy knows how to sing a tune. He is certainly someone I will be delving further into their catalogue.

After another intermission, IDLES took to the stage. And from the moment 'IDEA 01' started, the madness began. Sure it wasn't as chaotic or bloody as their previous gig, but the energy was off the scales. The crowd was great, knowing when to go in during the mosh pits, and when to calm down. If you're not a fan of that sort of thing, make sure you are in the seats above.

The band would jump into the crowd and get involved in the chaos, which makes for a very different approach. This was appreciated, as well as their pro-Palestine chants and lyrics in the music. If you know these guys' music, expect anti-monarchism, anti-fascism, and generally being on the right side of things.

IDLES

As with last time, tracks like 'Mother' and 'I'm Scum' went down a treat. Joe Talbot is a great performer and knows how to get the crowd going. Meanwhile, Lee Kiernan and Mark Bowen on guitar, as well as Adam Devonshire on bass now how to provide the riffs that take the songs up a notch. Finally, Jon Beavis did the business on the drums.

As for the new stuff, 'Gift Horse' had the crowd surfing and ready to go (until security put a stop to the surfing.). Even the less rowdy moments like 'POP POP POP' still brought that fierceness, especially in the wailing synths. 'The Beachland Ballroom' (a personal favourite) went down a storm, with a passionate performance that the crowd knew word for word. To be honest, they knew most songs word for word. I also enjoyed how they played different songs from the previous night such as the manic 'Benzocane'.

To conclude proceedings we got three absolute post-punk anthems in 'Never Fight A Man With A Perm', 'Danny Nedelko', and 'Rottweiler'. They are some of the band's biggest hits and they are just as euphoric and wild live as through your headphones. We also got 'Dancer', the lead single from the new album, that while less chaotic, still was a blast to move to.

Mark Bowen

Once again, IDLES delivered one of the best concerts of my life. While their recent output hasn't quite hit the highs of their first few albums, they still put on a sensational live show. Everything hit from top to bottom, and I will once again recommend you see them when they next are on tour in the U.K. As for those outside the U.K., I would do the same.

Score: 5/5

IDLES is on Instagram, X, BlueSky and TikTok. Buy their latest album 'TANGK' here or watch my review. Tickets for their shows in 2025 are available via this link. You can follow TomTalks on Instagram, X, and YouTube.