At the time of writing there are only 14 dates left on this part of the tour. Once we reach the end of August they're taking about a month off before returning for their UK dates, which right now is just about the end of the line for the E6 promotional endurance test (after they play BIME Live festival in Spain, of course). This run of live engagements has certainly taken them places, including that promise fulfilled to return to the United States. The tour has had something for everyone; bombast for the fans of electric Editors and some quiet, acoustic shows like the Studio Brussel showcase in March that were intense but intimate.
Random thought for today: I wonder what the Oxford version of The Pulse would sound like live?
Having watched this show as I'm uploading it, it's undeniable that the confidence Editors have been carrying throughout the VI OLENCE campaign is continuing. As I've mentioned before, I think they've managed to balance their schedule perfectly so they can maintain intensity, without having to surrender to fatigue as a consequence. The early days of the band were all about hitting the asphalt for months and just grinding, attempting to convert the congregation of small venues one city at a time. Not any more. The kind of addiction I have to this band means that it's essential that I see every single show they play regardless, but the way they're delivering their music now makes each event something to look forward to irrespective of your level of interest. They're on a roll.
One thing I noticed during this show was the audience taking the "Violence" refrain from the song of the same name and singing it back at the band, even during the intro to No Harm. That either speaks to the immediacy of that song or just to how well it's become known in a very short space of time. Whatever the reason, it's another facet to the live Editors experience that I'm not even sure I've heard done as loudly before. It's unusual for a festival crowd too, especially with the band not being the headliners where theoretically they'd have a major advantage in that the audience would be more open to their music. There's also a new but consistent lyric change to Darkness at the Door which gives Mr Smith another occasion to express himself through the medium of cursing. Honestly, sir.
Enjoy the music everyone ;)
MP3s
Cold (with intro) - download here
Hallelujah (So Low) - download here
Smokers - download here
An End Has a Start - download here
Blood - download here
Darkness at the Door - download here
Bricks and Mortar - download here
Munich - download here
Violence - download here
No Harm - download here
Sugar - download here
Ocean of Night - download here
The Racing Rats - download here
Papillon - download here
Magazine - download here
This backstage banter starts off on the wrong foot slightly, with Mr Williams being asked about the differences between Editors' last gig in that area during 2009 and the present one. He was, of course, a singer/songwriter in Airship at that point but he would be opening for Editors on some of their tour dates. It would another three years before he actually became a fully integrated component in the Moodcore Machine. The rest of the chatter is all about variations in audiences and festival experiences, how VI OLENCE is being received and what's on his current music playlist. Check it out ;)
stream it here
What a weird, weird interview this is. I can't help but feel like this is another chance that wasn't taken seriously enough. You get an allotted amount of time with an artist. You could take the time to ask some questions that matter and follow up on whatever answers you're given, because not only then are you showing you give a damn about your subject but it can also take you to conversational places you might not have anticipated. Or a different approach could be to just hit them with a list of questions designed to illicit one or two word answers and then split. There's no engagement at all, in fact this entire exchange could have taken place electronically, like one of those survey-style interviews that bands can do by mail.
The irony inherent in this entire situation is that the closing line from the interviewer is:-
"now we're done, it was a pleasure to meet you Justin"
The reality is she didn't meet him at all because even on its most basic, surface level that would suggest the coming together of two people. That didn't happen here. It was Mr Lockey being interrogated in the style of a list. I know this sounds like me moaning again, and I have no malice towards the interviewer, but I find it incredibly frustrating when somebody whose time is clearly at a premium is frittered away. Rant over.
stream it here
stream it here
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
