A gig that almost didn't happen, and that has within it one of the most emotionally draining performances of Two Hearted Spider Mr Smith has ever given.
At the beginning of 2012, Tom joined Twitter. At that stage, Editors were still a 4 piece and were recording their as yet unreleased new album. There were pictures on his twitter account from the studio which actually showed them all working on the songs, and things seemed to be going according to plan. Fast forward to Werchter in July of that year and an awful lot of awful things had happened.
What we knew at the time of the Werchter gig was that Chris was no longer a member of the band, with the statement of his departure being issued in April. What we as fans were blissfully unaware of was that the band were close to cancelling this show in the resulting fallout, as well as disbanding forever.
Tom wasn't happy to play Werchter, but was eventually talked around to it by Ed and Russell (never underestimate the persuasive power of drum and bass!). When Tom, Russell, Elliott, Ed and Justin walked onto the stage in front of over 80,000 people that night, you can only imagine the amount of stress they were under and how high the stakes were. That Editors were still in existence was an achievement. They'd added two new musicians to the group, and were about to tentatively step back into the spotlight for their first live festival show after the divorce from Chris. Expectations were already high, but in spite of that they chose this show to debut three new songs, including one that had already become very popular among fans who heard it previously in its original style. Risky.
Sugar was the opener for the set and the arrangement is slightly less focused than the one that we're used to post TWOYL. There's some musical additions here and there, and a little sonic baby fat that would be trimmed off down the line to give it a more menacing vibe. Elsewhere, there's an alternative version of The Weight of the World which doesn't have the pounding drums from the start or Chris' guitar lead. Nothing at Werchter was a real eye-opener, in that this is the version that most older fans treat with huge reverence. It had already been aired at their Birmingham HMV Institute show and featured Tom playing a ukulele. At this stage the song was gaining momentum as a storming live number and then, contrary buggers that they are, the band recorded a string heavy slow take for TWOYL album. In spite of what you thought they should do, they were always going to do whatever the hell they wanted to. An admirable quality.
2HS, for those of you who are new to the party, started out life as a very different sounding track. The version done with Chris involved was all electronic beats and synths, with one of his signature guitar riffs over the top and is overall a faster song. Lots of people cite the Teenage Cancer Trust gig 2011 as having the definitive version of the first incarnation of "2HS" but I really, really like the one they did at the Coke Festival in Krakow, August 2011. Tom looks completely manic throughout it.
When Editors played Werchter in 2012, however, 2HS had been rewritten and it was that one that they took to the stage to play. It runs at a much slower tempo, and builds a lot more as it goes along adding more instruments. Unlike later performances, Tom isn't behind a guitar for this one. It's just him, leaning out towards the crowd from a fixed microphone, singing the song. It becomes apparent as the track progresses that he's a lot further into the moment than you may have seen him before. There are times where you're experiencing a song and it hits you on a level other than just being good to listen to; it actually affects you physically, as all the best songs do. The ending to this song still gives me shivers (I'm listening to it again as I type this out), in the way that that it builds from being so quiet into something so loud. Realistically, Tom is just singing the word "Me" but it's the way he does it. It's pure speculation on my part, but the conclusion of the song resembles a mini-exorcism of all the horrendous shit leading up to that show. Tom is completely convincing as a performer here, and there are moments when it genuinely looks like the microphone stand is the only thing keeping him anchored to the floor. If you play this and then compare it to it's studio-based counterpart, it will become apparent why Editors can be such a fearsome prospect on stage. I honestly don't believe this song has ever been done as well before or since. It's also a rarity because it contains a short-lived lyric change that debuted at their Birmingham gigs a few weeks earlier:-
"The long distance call, as our shadows fuse..."
2HS at Werchter is one of those occasions that I'm glad I've seen and heard, although I'm not sure I'd ever like to hear it with that intensity again given the circumstances that created it, and what the people involved had to go through to deliver it. This show is the sound of a new band being born and taking shape onstage, something they've mentioned in interviews since. You can hear all 5 contributions within it, loud and clear, and it absolutely works. Enjoy an important moment in Editors' history that saw them crawling back from exile in a very, very dark place to begin something new.
Lemming Archive Version - download it here
MP3s
1. Sugar - download here
2. Racing Rats - download here
3. Bullets - download here
4. Smokers - download here
5. ERM=BD - download here
6. Blood - download here
7. Weight of the World - download here
8. Bricks and Mortar - download here
9. An End Has a Start - download here
10.Munich - download here
11.Fingers - download here
12.Nothing - download here
13.No Sound But the Wind - download here
14.Two Hearted Spider - download here
15.Papillon - download here
All MP3s - download here
Bonus Materials
stream it here
Perhaps one of the most interesting and awkward Editors interviews I've ever seen. Studio Brussel chat with Tom on the day of the show at Werchter 2012. I don't want to start taking things out of context and creating conspiracy theories, but there's a very interesting moment at around 50 seconds in leading to a statement from Tom that seems a little weird. I'm not going to say what it is, you can check it out yourself. It could, of course be that he's messing with our heads because he's aware that once Editors material appears online it tends to get spread quickly among the fans. I hope so. The overall tone is just a little strained, and I think this is the first instance of "The Chris Question" which will become a regular feature in the future for sure. Check it out:-
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Freshly ripped from the deredactie website, here's a second interview from Belgian TV with Tom prior to Editors' appearance at Werchter last weekend. It was spotted by another sharp-eyed Editors fan who very kindly made me aware of it. Thanks very much to you for that, Jolien. You're a star.
What do we learn from this one? The split with Chris is touched on again only this time it's referred to as a "divorce". Tom also mentions that the songs weren't sounding right but that with the new line-up things are working again. There's more guitars in there. That awkwardness is still present and it really sounds as though recording this album has been a tortuous process for all concerned. Not good. Watching Tom here I find myself, as I did with the last interview pre-Werchter, just wanting to give him a big hug and tell him that everything is going to be OK. That the band is going to be alright and that we're out here rooting for him and the rest of the guys. Ditto with Chris, who I hope has found some sunshine in his life after Editors. The waiting is hell, isn't it? Check it out:-
stream it here
stream it here
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
