"At least we're not live on the radio..." - Tom after Violence
Throw back the curtains, wipe that crusty nastiness from your sleepy eyes and greet the day because it's time for the FluxFM morning show...at 3 in the afternoon. I had to keep checking my clock to make sure I was actually still living in the afternoon of my Friday. Turns out I am. I refuse to believe that the time difference between the UK and Germany is that big, having spent most of my life thinking it was only an hour.
I'll mention at the outset that the broadcast is here exactly as it aired online, the only difference being that I removed the station idents to give a much more even flow. Gentle, acoustic music with the occasional but loud "THE MORNING SHOWCASE!!! FLUXFM!!!" over the top just broke the mood.
The three men leading the charge on the day of Editors' 6th record release stopped by FluxFM in Berlin this afternoon. I know I've said this elsewhere but I'm really enjoying the juxtaposition of using these intimate acoustic shows to roll out such a punchy album. It acts as a reminder that although the songs on VI OLENCE are quite often electronic and effects-laden, they all started life in a very simple and easy to understand form. I also admire the willingness of Justin, Tom and Elliott to put themselves in such a vulnerable position; playing brand new songs at a drastically reduced volume without the comfort and occasional hiding places provided by the noise of a full-electric show. It means that if something goes wrong, it stands right out there for everyone to hear. On that note...
Unfortunately, the gremlins returned to give this set a little bit of spice and to further complicate things. There's some bum notes here and there, a pause as they have to change a lead prior to Papillon, and the mixing gets loud and quiet at various points. These things happen. In terms of music, I've always felt that perfection is both unattainable and boring. It's the vanilla in the neapolitan ice cream that everyone grudgingly eats, even though they secretly really dig the strawberry and chocolate much more. I'd rather hear how a band copes with adversity than have flawless performances every time. The anticipation of whether you're going to get a stellar show or something less can often make it more interesting.
Violence - download here
Papillon - download here
Magazine - download here
Smokers - download here
A Ton of Love - download here
Blood - download here
The Phone Book - download here
Bonus Material - Smokers Video Clip
stream it here
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
