Idlewild, Camden Electric Ballroom, October 16th
Idlewild played the Electric Ballroom on October 16th
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Monday, 19, Oct 2009 03:35
On stage, Roddy Woomble oozes contentedness, and it's not hard to see why. Idlewild, on the back of a fan-funded album, have earned their core following and at the Electric Ballroom they played specifically to them.
With six albums to choose from now, there was never going to be enough time to play everything and please everyone, but the eclectic mix of old and new made for an unpredictable and highly exciting set from the Scottish quintet.
Opening the bill were fellow Scots the Xcerts, whose upbeat tunes set the tone for an energetic evening. The Aberdeen threesome played a solid set including tracks from their debut album In The Cold Wind We Smile, which periodically yielded up moments of epic ambition. The infectious Just Go Home in particular stood out as a finely crafted pop-punk gem.
By the time Idlewild took to the stage, the anticipation was palpable, despite the fact that it wasn't yet 9pm. The band set about rewarding their loyal fans, who paid for their latest album Post-Electric Blues before it was even recorded, with album opener Younger Than America and recent single Readers And Writers. Wooble sounded a note of mild embarrassment when introducing recent single No Emotion, describing it as the band's one-song career as a disco band. As expected, the cuts from The Remote Part elicited the strongest reaction; You Held The World In Your Arms retained its football terrace sing-along atmosphere, while A Modern Way Of Letting Go brought about manic scenes in the front few rows.
Of the new material, Post Electric was by far the most raucously received – Rod Jones took centre stage to deliver a frantic guitar solo, as Wooble modestly stood in the shadows watching his band mates rock out. Time hasn't left Idlewild unchanged, and some of the bite was missing from the vocals of Roseability, but what they have lost in ferocity they have gained in subtlety. The lilting tones of Take Me Back In Time showed their sensitive side in a set that was as varied as it was long.
During a 23-track set, you would forgive an audience for becoming a little distracted, but there was no sign of that as the night drew to a close. The Pixies-esque stomp of In Competition For The Worst Time and the furious din of EP track Captain, were followed by the magnificent crescendo of In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction to complete an enthralling encore.
The modest size of the Electric Ballroom might suggest that Idlewild's career has peaked, and while this may be technically true in terms of audience sizes, they are showing no signs of fading away. This is a band who are assured of their sound and are happy to take their time perfecting it.
Chris Jefferies