Idlewild - Glasgow
Barrowlands
22nd December 2005
I guess that, in recent years, I feel that Idlewild have lost something of their edge, even if the songwriting has improved, certainly matured, in many ways. Having said that this show was a good way of confirming the impressions from Meadowbank that, on top of their game, Idlewild are still an excellent live proposition.
After 3 festival settings (here, here and here), this was the first time I’d actually seen Idlewild live as headliners in their own right although the nature of the show meant that this wasn’t quite a run of the mill show. And for the first time in a while I felt quite old as the average age of the audience at this show seemed to be around the early 20’s. I suppose it had to happen sometime!
The acoustic set was diverting enough but hardly riveting throughout. Inevitably some songs worked well in this format and others felt lacking. ‘El Capitain’ was certainly a prime candidate for inclusion in this set but it lacked the attack at the end of an electric version. On the other hand, stripped of the bombast, ‘American English’ sounded like a great song (rather than an indifferent U2 song.) But even more surprising than that was not just the inclusion of ‘Self Healer’ off Captain in the acoustic set but the fact that it actually worked!
One downer was that, despite being a one-off show which presumably attracted the die-hards from far and wide, there was a considerable amount of talking during the songs. No manners, these young uns.
The big question was whether or not the band would repeat anything from the acoustic set in the electric set and the answer turned out to be not (really). It was an energetic performance matched by an equally energetic crowd. (Despite not moving an inch between the 2 sets, I guess that for the acoustic set maybe 30% of the crowd was in front of us, but for the electric set it would be nearer 50!)
Presumably
this was a more up tempo set than normal given that many of the quieter moments
had featured earlier on. Another consequence of not repeating material was the
inclusion of more songs from the earlier records than normal although in this
setting the differences between the earlier and later records were harder to
pick out.
So, writing this a few weeks after the event, the songs become something of a
blur. Only ‘Te Space Between All Things’ acting as an extended showcase for Rod’s guitar work departed much
from the recorded versions. But they played ‘Film for the Future’ so I was quite
happy.
Their only repeat of the night turned out to be ‘You Held The World In Your Arms’ which had opened the acoustic set and closed the only encore. It’s a song that I have some reservations about (stadium bluster, blah) but it received the most rapturous reception of all. Young people, eh?
Which leaves just the (minor) gripes. Taken overall it was a short show, with the electric set barely reaching 65 minutes. Perhaps the two set format is a justification for that. And at least I got to my bed half hour earlier than normal!
Secondly,
another ‘young-people-today’ moan. After just one encore, and notwithstanding
the symmetrical nature of book-ending the set with ‘YHTWIYA’, surely there was
some scope for such an enthusiastic crowd to have at least asked for more before
leaving? But no, they switched from euphoria to trudging away even BEFORE the
lights come up. Young people, today, eh?
Acoustic Setlist
You Held The World In Your Arms
When I Argue I See Shapes
Welcome Home
I'm Happy To Be Here Tonight
Winter is Blue
American English
Self Healer
Day You Died
The Bronze Medal
"Miss The Train"
El Capitan
Goodnight
Electric Setlist
(I Am) What I Am Not
I Want A Warning
Little Discourage
Love Steals Us From Loneliness
A Modern Way of Letting Go
These Wooden Ideas
I Am A Message
The Space Between All Things
Live In A Hiding Place
I Don't Have The Map
Roseability
Santa Polaroid (sic)
I Understand It
Film For The Future
In Remote Part
-----------------
4 People Do Good
Everyone Says You're So Fragile
You Held The World In Your Arms
