Idles - Brutalize a SOLD OUT!!! Southend venue

****

Idles are definitely not bone idle!

Idles **** are labelled as a Post-Punk / Art-Rock group from Bristol and hit the stage to a SOLD OUT!!! Chinnerys in Southend. The band is touring the UK and Europe in support of their critically acclaimed debut stomper of an album 'Brutalism'.

Front man Joe Talbot casually walks on stage soon to be followed by the remainder of the band. Then the assault begins, opening song 'Heel / Heal' which kicks off a wave of jumping bodies in the audience, beer flies everywhere, a full pint flies towards the singer and hits him. 

Joe just brushes it off without batting an eye lid and it seems at as though this happens at every gig the band plays. Other lesser bands would have stormed off, this also turns the stage into a slippery ice rink, and god knows how the band did not slip over is beyond me!

As support band Lice set the standard tonight for getting in with the fans Idles are not ones to be out done tonight, as both guitarists end up close and personnel with the fans during some songs.

Towards the end of the sweaty, loud and manic set, front man Joe thanks Lice for keeping the band on its toes on this tour. As the band head towards the final songs of the set, a phone ends up on stage from one of the fans (probably knocked out of their hand in the constant moshpit).

And Joe... fair play to him, picks it up re-assembles it and hands it back to the grateful fan. They may be post punk but this shows the appreciation the band has for their fans. The bands tracks resemble Art Brut in places, and their live shows are equally as chaotic... this is a type of music I think brings out a lot of frustration. And I think a lot of fans are getting their's out of their system, in many different ways.

Joe tells the adoring fans that they do not do encores as we are not “Queen” and ends the set with 'Rottweiler', they keep things short and to the point... even though they do play quite a few songs. Just the length of these songs, might not be as long as tracks by other bands. 

As with the beginning of the set; Joe Talbot casually walks off the stage leaving the rest of the band to finish the song to a climatic finish followed. Idles are set for a bright, if brutal future, hopefully with album number two around the corner.

Idles - Setlist
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Heel / Heal
The Idles Chant
Faith in the City
Mother
Queens
I am Scum
1049 Gotho
Devide and Conquer
Benzocaine
Danny Nedelko
White Privilege
Exeter
Love Song
Well Done
Rottweiler

Review and Photo's by Andrew Wild

Check Out! the Video for 'Mother' Below...