Originally captured by Tarquin, this is Editors making beautiful noises from the saturnine hurricane that was the seemingly never-ending Back Room campaign in 2006. The files were shared as a single FLAC file and the only alteration I've made is to create single tracks for those of you who prefer to dip in, rather than commit to a big download. It's all still unconverted and in FLAC format in accordance with the taper's wishes. Thanks to you, Tarquin, for releasing your work to the world. It's appreciated ;)
Manchester Apollo 2006 has a tight setlist that has a bit of everything you like, plus some old school Editors favourites. Throughout the campaign for the Back Room there were occasionally recurring cover versions in the form of French Disko by Stereolab and Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads, which is included here. The trend continued during subsequent tours, where they played Orange Crush by R.E.M. on the AEHAS campaign and Lullaby by The Cure for ITLAOTE. The original Road to Nowhere keeps a consistent pace from beginning to end, but Editors' take begins very small and ends much larger. All part of the process of making it their own.
The version of Someone Says that has the extended intro starts the evening off, before All Sparks, Blood and Bones. I love the way Tom accentuates the line "If there's hope in your heart" at the very end of Blood. I don't know what he was thinking when he wrote it, but if the subject matter is all about seeing differences between yourself and someone else, then the way that line is delivered plays right into that sentiment perfectly.
How new was Bones in 2006? Listen to the muted crowd reaction that greets it when Tom announces it compared with some of the more well know songs. Certainly not something that happens now when it gets played. Fall has some dedicated fan interaction throughout, with everyone definitely wanting "to see it for themselves". There's some vocal bleed into The Weight of the World as the final notes from the former song are sustained, giving a strange moment where you can hear Mr Smith singing and then introducing the next song all at the same time. Trippy.
Like Bones before it, TWOTW was still a full year away from becoming a permanent record at this time, and if you're familiar with it then you'll be able to spot the minute differences between this and the AEHAS take. It's all about small inflections and details being left out.
There's some serious confusion on the part of Mr Smith when announcing Find Yourself a Safe Place, something that only gets worse when he tries to make amends just after it. Not since the Sex Pistols has the word "bollocks" been used so adeptly. Then right after Release is played, Mr Lay becomes the unwilling star of the show as his drums crap out on him. This gives Tom a chance to try out some improvised time-filling material, before it all gets fixed and Camera kicks in. It makes you wonder if an alternative career as a therapeutic counsellor might have been in his future, if he hadn't chosen a life as a sombre balladeer:-
"We have drum troubles. But everybody has troubles. Ed's is with his drums."
Truth..
Both Release and Find Yourself a Safe Place are excellent examples of the band gelling as a single entity, showing two contrasting sides to their personalities. One of them takes your breath away slowly and deliberately, while the other is a speedy and noisy asphyxiation. In the nicest possible way, of course.
"We have drum troubles. But everybody has troubles. Ed's is with his drums."
Truth..
Both Release and Find Yourself a Safe Place are excellent examples of the band gelling as a single entity, showing two contrasting sides to their personalities. One of them takes your breath away slowly and deliberately, while the other is a speedy and noisy asphyxiation. In the nicest possible way, of course.
The whole set has an absolute "hit 'em and quit" feel that was present through a lot of Editors' early gigs, where the primary objective seemed to be to get hold of an audience as quickly as possible and then emotionally wring them out over the course of the show. If that's as much your kind of thing as it is mine...
FLAC Files
Someone Says - download here
All Sparks - download here
Blood - download here
Bones - download here
Fall - download here
The Weight of the World - download here
Bullets - download here
Find Yourself a Safe Place - download here
Release - download here
Camera - download here
You Are Fading - download here
Munich - download here
Open Your Arms - download here
Lights - download here
Road to Nowhere - download here
Fingers in the Factories - download here
Single FLAC file - download here
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
