Editors

Dark opener ‘Someone Says’ is gloriously different. A distinct vocal style and a dark claustrophobic edge, it’s just the kind of stuff I like from the off. ‘Blood’ is a festival anthem that has the crowd singing as the guitar crashes out over us. ‘All Sparks’ creates the biggest impact of the day so far and the size of the crowd is huge only trailing off once it reaches the fun fair. Now IOW with Editors help has become a festival.

Tom Smith sounds quite scary and bizarre in this world swathed in Joy Division and smoke is pouring from the stage below Editors obscuring them in palls of smoke as he urges us to “retreat, retreat.” The songs are all re-worked and twisted when compared to their produced sound on debut album ‘The Back Room’ and it’s strange to hear them so ‘edited’.

‘Fall’ and ‘Lights’ both work extremely well and it’s interesting that so many of the crowd know the words. I was impressed until ‘Bullets’ when suddenly the numbers singing increases dramatically. But once again it’s twisted up. Seeing such a crowd response I’m amazed to think a year ago they played to an empty field at Glastonbury.

It’s great to see that they’ve amassed such a popular following and all those album sales have clearly made them more relaxed on stage too. Now they’re clearly enjoying the moment as ‘Munich’ unfurls and the crowd applaud and chant the words.

If Coldplay are stepping out of the limelight then here is a band able to take their festival headline crown. ‘Open Your Arms And Welcome’ dissolves into Talking Heads’ ‘Road to Nowhere’ it’s loud and powerful and leaves half the audience standing there wondering if it was a new tune!

The performance is emphasised by a conversation with the guy next to me, who didn’t know the Talking Heads tune, who boasts he bought into the band ‘before they were’. I suggest he must, like me, be pleased they now have such a following. “No!” he replies, “Now they’re popular they're rubbish!” I was kind of stunned that music is so much fashion these days, but I hope Editors continue to gather fans regardless and build their show into a great future headlining performance. And tonight at IOW they were great.

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