Editors @ Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne(03/08/2007)

Thu 9th Aug, 2007 in Gig Reviews

In all honesty, I’d been a little wary of the Editors since my first exposure to them – marketed in bold print as “the new Interpol ”. There is no way to get my back up quicker than using another band’s success to sell your own records and if I wanted to listen to Interpol then I’d listen to Interpol, if you know where I’m going?

Anyway, point of the story is that I had my doubts. I did listen to The Back Room , however, and although they never really dominated my playlists, they were still a band I put on occasionally in the background (particularly in my more angsty moments or when I need a bit of air-guitar practice). Similarly, this year’s An End has a Start didn’t blow me away, but it’s something I chill out to now and then. I still have misgivings about the albums I guess, but their live performances (if Friday night was anything to go by) are worth your time.

Frontman Tom Smith came out firing on all cylinders with crowd-pleaser ‘Bones’ and didn’t let up on the energy for the whole 75 minutes that the band played. He was powerful, dramatic and engaging, and a little over the top but you can’t deny we got a show. I would’ve liked to have felt that kind of energy from the rest of the band, not just Smith and drummer Ed Lay , but the others did improve as the night went on (whether such energy was demanded however on songs which speak of such bleakness and melancholy is another story).

This was the first time Editors had been down to our fair shores, so we heard a good deal of material from both albums, although chiefly from their latest release. There were a few sound issues on some of the slower / softer songs, but generally they were fairly tight despite Smith throwing himself all around the stage. The encore was probably the highlight of the night with great renditions of ‘Spiders’, ‘Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors’ and ‘Fingers in the Factories’ which had everyone jumping.

Smith’s voice is dark and powerful – the inevitable Ian Curtis comparisons continue. I suppose it’s not totally unjustified, but whilst their whole neo-post-punk sound can sometimes bring him to mind, Editors are certainly no Joy Division. Whilst they are a pretty decent and competent band, I think perhaps there is a better band in there. Whether we continue to see Coldplay -esque ballads return or for the band to grow and feel what they are singing more on the next album will be interesting. To me, it feels like they are kind of at a crossroads right now, where they could fall into mediocrity or the opposite. Time will tell which way is the easiest for them to tumble.

Tonight’s gig was great and, personally, a much needed injection of live music energy. Editors, to me, are one of those bands that are better to experience than just listen to. So if they’re around, get down and check them out. You may just have an awesome time.