‘This is an anti-fascist song’ | IDLES come home
Posted on: 02 Sep 2019As well as their very first female headliner, The Downs festival saw the raucous homecoming of IDLES this weekend.
It’s been a while since IDLES last performed in Bristol. Just under a year ago, they sold out SWX with support from friends Heavy Lungs. And since? They haven’t stopped; the band toured Europe in January, the States in May and played dozens of festivals this summer. To round it off, they warmed up The Downs festival mainstage ahead of Grace Jones and Ms. Lauryn Hill this weekend.
Driven by Jon Beavis’ racing double bass drum, incessant stage dives and supported by a swirling pit at the foot of the stage; IDLES return was a tight, sweaty celebration of 2018’s Joy as an Act of Resistance, which came out a year ago on Saturday.
“Our country is falling apart,” exclaimed frontman Joe Talbot midway through the set. This being just one of many raw, politically-charged pleas from Talbot; it felt that IDLES’ performance was not only a zealous showcase of their material but a chance for open discussion with the first city that listened to them.
From the class-concerned rage of ‘Mother’ to the condemnation of toxic masculinity found in last year’s ‘Samaritans’; Talbot sprinkled pertinent commentary about mental health, social mobility and addiction around the setlist, introducing each and every song with one clear message: “this is an anti-fascist song."
Besides the slot's anti-establishment sentiments and dense auditory beatings, IDLES' homecoming set was also full of love. While Talbot thanked the audience for welcoming them back to Bristol, the performance featured a few special guests.
In the middle of their set, a kid was pulled from backstage to play Jon Beavis’ crash symbol; a friend of the band, Heavy Lungs’ Danny Nedelko (pictured above) made a flying visit for his self-titled song; and an older couple stood filming the performance with an old camcorder throughout. (Might they have been some proud parents? We hope so.)
To finish, Talbot offered some parting advice: "Don't buy The Sun!" Welcome home, IDLES: Bristol approves your message.
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