Live at Holmfirth Picturedrome on Friday, 29th July 2005
The crumbling surrounds of Holmfirth Picturedrome may be unaccustomed to this number of Indie kids but the haphazard architecture somehow seems fitting for all the dishevelled shirt and tie combos and painstakingly straightened messy haircuts. This venue deserves to be mainstay of the touring circuit. Where else can you have a beer on the balcony over looking Compo's café?
Having been mortally bored by the acoustic cleverness of Reeve (the band belonging to Idlewild's drafted in session violinist) the crowd finally pays attention for the main event as Roddy (the man in a 12-year-olds body) and crew amble on to the dimly lit stage replete with candles and old wooden chairs. For tonight we will witness Idlewild, the once kings of British guitar blasting as an acoustic collective.
They are somewhat of a collector's item already as they have passed that rare landmark of 4 albums which most of today's crop can only dream off. They even have an air of having been round the block about them despite all still appearing to be someone's little brother. Fear runs amongst my party that having started to sound like REM on their last album and having come out of the closet as great lovers of Scottish poetry and folk, tonight's stripped down format will play right in to the hands of the beard stroking, pipe smoking contingent. But no what's this, it actually works (for the most part anyway). Opening with "When I argue I see shapes" as if it were always meant to be played on acoustic instruments, and then doing the same for "Little Discourage", "Let Me Sleep", "You Held The World In Your Arms" the crowd soon get the idea. All of the singles from current album Warnings / Promises actually seem to fit with "El Capitan", "I Understand It" and "Love Steals Us From Loneliness" now sounding more like acoustic Idlewild rather than full blown AOR.
The biggest cheers of the night come from the band's clap along version of the theme music to "Last of The Summer Wine" (particularly popular with the few local chavs who've found their way in by mistake) and "American English". The few dodgy moments all centre on the "We're Scottish and we're going to harp on about our folk culture" bits.
It's a far cry from the first NME showcase where we first witnessed Idlewild playing at 200Mph and wringing buckets of sweat out Leeds Met. Still everyone must grow up one day.
All replies to this article. Log in to post a reply.
On 6th August 2005 at 10:32 Anonymous 4015 wrote...
Saw their set at Cambridge Festival and, yeah, it did sound like it had all been written for acoustic instruments. Which, um, it had, probably. Idlewild have said that they write all their stuff sat down with acoustic guitars these days. But yeah, beautiful set, and I'm sure this one was equally magical. Oh, and I met Roddy in the queue for fast food at Cambridge.
