"So here we are..." - Tom after All Sparks
As I go backwards to update the Archive and remove any dead links (again), this is one post that's caused all kinds of hassles. The first problem was that Editors' Glastonbury set was never screened or broadcast in one complete format, meaning that I had to gather material from about 4 or 5 different sources. The downside was that the quality was a little sketchy in places, but I felt obligated to put it out there in the interests of getting as near to something cohesive as possible. I think though that in hindsight it might have just been a better idea to put out the best quality material I have, and just allow the not-so-good stuff to slip away. It's much easier as an idea than an action, however, because as you may have surmised that when when it comes to Editors it pains me to store things away without sharing. So this is now a smaller, more compact Glastonbury 2007 post but it looks and sounds a lot better than the original one did. There's a high definition highlights video courtesy of the BBC, as well as four other tracks that were broadcast elsewhere. This is the third time I've reuploaded this gig, and only now does it seem...right. I purposefully hold myself to a ludicrously high standard when it comes to representing this band via the Archive.
I can only speak for my own state of mind when I first watched this in 2007, when I remember thinking
"Oh wow. This is getting big"
There was also some relief involved too because, having fallen so hard for them as a band the year before, I wondered if they'd carry the momentum they'd been building up. We can all point to a band in our past that arrived into the world fully formed, and then suddenly dropped off after that first album bliss faded. I can list quite a few, and so I was optimistic about Editors... but cautious. An extra ingredient to consider was the impending release of An End Has a Start, which was due to go on sale about 48 hours later. So this was an arrival and a showcase all at once.
For me, the entire set is summed up in two songs; The Weight of the World and Fingers. TWOTW was a was an anthem written with Glastonbury in mind, something Tom actually says before they start playing but had also reiterated in interviews years before. Glastonbury is a venue that Editors had an affinity with since attending as paying members of the public years before, and this bespoke lullaby fits the environment perfectly. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that if there was any group visualisation going on before the first notes even got struck, this is probably how it was supposed to go.
As a summary and a goodbye to Glastonbury, Fingers is sensational. If the adage is "Leave them wanting more" while simultaneously making absolutely sure that you as a band left everything out on that stage, that's what happened here. Tom's intro captures that spirit of being completely lost in the moment. Compare this verion of Mr Smith with the interviewee in the clip below and you'll see just what performing can do to alter a personality. Before kicking off Fingers he could have just said, "Thanks for listening. When I say, go nuts...go nuts" but instead we get the sight and sound of a man who was clearly having a great time, and for whom conventional sentence construction has temporarily vanished. It's a beautiful thing. Once that setup has been given it's all about the race to he finish line. Sure enough at around 3 minutes and 55 seconds in Tom starts baiting the crowd, and even watching this years later, I can still feel a chill. When they left the stage there was little question remaining about the validity of their place on it.
Enjoy the music ;)
Broadcast Setlist
Bones
All Sparks
An End Has a Start
Blood
Munich
Smokers
stream it here
Taken from various other sources, here's four tracks that weren't included in the highlights collection above. It means that we're only missing Escape the Nest and You Are Fading, making us frustratingly close to a full set...but not quite there.
Bullets - stream it here
The Racing Rats - stream it here
The Weight of the World - stream it here
Fingers in the Factories - stream it here
As much as they may appear to be present at this interview with long time champion of the band, Mr Zane Lowe, there's an undercurrent of nervous tension and mental distraction from Tom and Russell. I think they were probably acutely aware of the magnitude of the event before them. It's strange recalling a time when they weren't as battle-tested in terms of festival shows, but this was that time. Now, of course, they're veterans of working larger venues and crowds but back in 2007 it was a different story. There was also some additional pressure of having a new record coming out within a week, AEHAS, and playing those new tracks in front of a non-partisan crowd. Glastonbury has a habit of bringing out the best in bands (Pulp, Radiohead, Oasis etc) and that importance of wanting to give the best possible account of themselves wasn't overlooked, especially when they talk about their new light show. For the record, the way it just cuts out at the end was a BBC thing rather than clumsy editing on my part. Honest! Enjoy the chat ;)
stream it here
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
