Sunday, 7 January 2024

The Archive Index

"Don't let it get lost..."

Welcome to the Lemming Archive.

What you'll find here is everything that I have ferociously, and often indiscriminately collected by the UK band Editors since I first became a fan in 2006. There's no officially released material here as it's not my intention to take money out of anybody's pocket. What it does contain are live shows, interviews, television appearances and some other memorabilia that isn't quite as easy to categorise (Editors condom tin, anyone?). The whole idea in setting this blog up was to assemble everything in one place so that other Editors fans would be able to delve into the band's history, as well as catching up with their current activities. The links below will help you do that.

Whether you've been an Editors fan for a while or you've only just discovered them, I'm really glad you're here. Have a look around and take whatever you want, support the band and most importantly of all enjoy the music ;)

The Lemming Archive - Table of Contents
For hidden extras, scroll down to "Covert Shares"

Editors in 2003 (as Snowfield)

 
 


 

 

Notifications and updates *new*


The Lemming Archive (main blog)
 

The Archive on YouTube (for all hosted videos)

 

Editors' online message board

 

The Lemming Archive's email address
 

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x

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Sunday, 31 December 2023

Saturday (acoustic) 13th October 2025

 

This is a video of Tom performing the song Saturday on the piano, a track from his unreleased (but not for much longer) debut album. There;'s another lyrical reference to New York in this one and it's a place that seems to have had a profound effect on the man. 

There's also a continuing sense of reflection.  It's almost as if slowing Editors down gradually over the years, certainly with regards to their earlier more chaotic tests of promotional endurance, has allowed him to look back and take it all in. Something which may have been a luxury previously as he inhabited the heart of the machinery. I've said it before but maybe There is Nothing in the Dark... will serve as a summary of 20 years fashioning a life based on creativity and connection. In just over a month, we'll know for sure. 


MP3

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x
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Tom Smith - The Loft Forres 4th September 2025 (Cindy's recording)




So...Is anyone in the mood for some more live Tom?

This is an audio capture of Tom playing The Loft in Forres on the 4th September 2025. It was very generously provided to the Archive by an audience member and fan called Cindy, who was lucky enough to be there on the night. Many thanks to you for your kindness, Cindy ;)

Little piece of housekeeping before we get going; the first track, Deep Dive wasn't recorded but the rest of the show remains intact. 

As the photograph above shows, this was an intimate affair from a very early point in the tour. Everything is still in that getting-to-know-you phase, certainly in terms of what songs are to be played and how the silences are navigated during tuning. In amongst the banter from the stage before Old TV Shows, there's a very candid admission regarding the release of Smith and Burrows' second album, which possessed quite possibly some of the worst luck imaginable in terms of its release. 

I do hope that down the line sometime Tom is asked about what the experience of going back to this guerrilla style of touring was like, especially given the stature of his "other group". I imagine it was a lot of stress, coupled with a lot of fun and the freedom that only comes from being totally in charge of everything. No guitar techs, no roadies, just two dudes in a Land Rover Defender occasionally stopping to throw themselves into the sea as we descend ever-deeper into Autumn. Why? Only they know. 

Side note: as I've listened to these songs more I have noticed on occasion that some of the guitar work bears a passing resemblance to label mates Cigarettes After Sex, which if you've never heard of you should go and check out on the double. Enjoy the music ;)


MP3s
1. Deep Dive (unrecorded)
2. Life is for Living - download here
3. Blood - download here
4. The Weight - download here
5. The Weight of the World - download here
6. Broken Time - download here
7. Old TV Shows - download here
8. Papillon - download here
9. Lights - download here
10. The Phone Book - download here
11. How Many Times - download here
12. What is This Thing Called Love - download here
13. Northern Line - download here
14. Leave - download here
15. An End Has a Start - download here
16. Ocean of Night - download here
17. Lights of NYC - download here
18. Munich - download here
19. Endings Are Breaking My Heart - download here
20. Smokers - download here

All in a Zip - download here

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x
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Editors Instagram - September 2025

 


The amount of material available this month was always going to be increased, as September was the month that Tom and Nic both took to the road. As I post this, they will be playing the last few shows on this run and all of them have sold out. Beyond that, there was a new date added in November on the 14th, where Tom will be appearing at Barezzi Festival in Parma. Fun to see that he'll be on the same bill as Spiritualized, as Jason remixed (obscured) Camera for Editors back in the day. It is still my firm belief that there will be more dates added elsewhere, because even with this late addition it would still mean the tour is over before the record even hits the stores. As joyful a burst as this has been, and they've packed a lot into just over 30 days, it still feels like the story is without a final chapter.   

We do have an audio capture from this run of gigs courtesy of a new friend to the Archive called Michelle, who managed to tape Tom and Nic at the Eric Morecambe Centre in Harpenden on the 24th September. It's a chance to hear some of the new compositions and get used to them, before you eventually claim that they are the preferred versions once the studio recordings are made public. It's always the way with Editors. 

The other major story that came out of this last month was that we lost GaryUK. 

If you don't know who he was, then take a look around the Archive and you'll find evidence of him everywhere. All those live recordings that bear his name are not only great to listen to, but they also chronicle some pretty key events in Editors history. There was the gig at the Cheese and Grain in Frome 2008 where the band played an encore suggested by fans beforehand. As you'd expect if you left this kind of thing up to hardcore/weirdo Editors devotees, it's four obscure songs from the b-sides of their singles. I remember him personally lobbying for the song Colours to be included, and it was. There was also the Teenage Cancer Trust show from 2011. Go and have a look at the set list and check out the circumstances around that show, it'll give you a better sense of its elevated stature. In 2012 he travelled to Birmingham for Editors' first gigs with Justin and Elliott and on it goes. The list is long and impressive, and he's always been a part of the foundations that support the Archive. Shows that would have passed into history, only to exist in the memories of those lucky enough to have been present are now available to experience almost decades after the beats faded. Gary did that. 

In Editors fandom, Gary was part of a community. First on the band's official website and then later on Hannah's forum. He brought people together because you knew that if he'd taped a show, it would sound great. There's a reliability in that which is a scarce commodity, and he was valued for what he contributed. Gary also came from that old school of music fans that actually felt passionately enough about what they listened to have a real opinion based upon it. If he wasn't keen on something he would let it be known, similarly if he liked it, you'd hear about it. That's an investment reduced in those who just listen to music as a distraction.     

I had grown used to the idea that every time there was a tour, he'd be out there in the dark of the evening somewhere smuggling his recording equipment into a venue, picking a spot from which to tape and make sure everyone else got to hear what he'd heard. I'd receive the files shortly afterwards, with a cheerful email bemoaning all the audio mistakes he was convinced were contained within (they weren't!). It was a routine as sure as the sun coming up in the morning, and I was certain that the only thing which would stop all of this would be Editors calling it a day. 

I was wrong. 

This would be a reminder that permanence is an illusion built entirely upon hope, and it can be removed at any time. If you're lucky enough to have anyone in your life that you love, recognise and appreciate them. This might be your last chance. 

Safe travels, Gary. Thank you for everything.

Editors Instagram - September 2025


For all of Editors' other Instagram posts, go here.

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x 
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Eric Morecambe Centre - Harpenden 24th September 2025


This post has taken on a whole new relevance. One of the more unsung but pivotal figures in Editors fandom has passed away. He was called Gary, and he did and awful lot of taping. If you've ever listened to bootleg live recordings of Editors, particularly at the Archive, all the really good ones came from GaryUK. Through his efforts he really helped to preserve the history of this little group that we all love so much, and made it easier for those around the world who couldn't attend to experience the magic. 

As ever with these situations the only appropriate reaction is to  go hug the ones you love a little bit tighter, and remind them you love them. We don't have the time not to.  Safe travels, Gary. Thank you for everything.  

Recorded by a brand new friend to the Archive called Michelle (thank you!), this show features Tom and Nic Willes playing at the Eric Morecambe Centre in Harpenden. For those of you who couldn't make the tour, and are curious as to what the new record will be sounding like, this is for you.

Back in the days before the pandemic switched off the world, Editors were due to play a festival over two nights. The idea for the first night was a standard Editors gig, with the second being an opportunity to re-imagine some of their back catalogue to give it a more danceable personality. Circumstances killed the idea as we all became shut-ins for a while, but I bring this up for a reason. There's always a reason ;)

This set list is a mixture of Editors and solo Tom, with a little bit of Smith and Burrows thrown in. This far into the adventure, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd heard all the Editors songs on the list. The challenge here, as with the abandoned festival show,  was to adapt them enough to make them seem different even after their repeated exposure to an audience. The key variable being here is that there are only two people involved in the presentation, so could that even be possible?

Oh yes.

The main tactic seems to have been to find what best evokes an emotional response, with as little complication as possible. As an example, The Weight shouldn't work without that giant drum beat powering it along, as well as the strings.  In this setting, it sounds like a different song.  Much more ominous, but a gentle ominous.  

Side note: I do think there's something wonderfully perverse about this track being played in the Eric Morecambe Centre. He was a famous comedian here in the UK, along with Ernie Wise and one of their signature songs which used to finish their TV specials  was called Bring Me Sunshine. They were known for it, and the lyrics are remarkably positive and upbeat.  "In this world where we live, there should be more happiness". The idea that Tom is singing "I promised myself, I wouldn't sing about death" in a venue built on laughter and Bring Me Sunshine is wonderful. As much as him playing a church and singing If there really was a God here, he'd have raised a hand by now. 

There's something so pure in the notion of a man from a band who can play stadiums taking things all the way back to the beginning, to the part of the journey where they'll be hanging out at the merch table afterwards chatting with the audience. I wonder how all of this has affected his perspective on things, given he'll soon be back within the familiar surrounds of Editors? What did he learn, and what have we as fans learned from this tour?

Some things to listen out for; Tom vs the squeaky chair, the negative effects of saying "Woo!" to everything and the increased slickness of Tom's guitar tuning abilities. Enjoy the music ;)


MP3s
1. Deep Dive - download here
2. Life is for Living - download here
3. Blood - download here
4. The Weight - download here
5. The Weight of the World - download here
6. Broken Time - download here
7. Old TV Shows - download here
8. Papillon - download here
9. Lights - download here
10. The Phone Book - download here
11. How Many Times - download here
12. What is This Thing Called Love - download here
13. Northern Line - download here
14. Leave - download here
15. An End Has a Start - download here
16. Ocean of Night - download here
17. Lights of NYC - download here
18. Munich - download here
19. Endings Are Breaking My Heart - download here
20. Smokers - download here

All in a Zip - download here

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x


 
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Tom plays How Many Times (detail) backstage - 24th September 2025

 


Filmed in the backstage area of the Eric Morecambe Centre in Harpenden, 24th September 2025, this is Tom rehearsing the song How Many Times. It will be appearing in fuller form on Tom's debut album There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light, which arrives in December of this year. If you've ever heard the phrase "wandering minstrel", that pretty much sums this up. Editors will never become the super noisy shoegaze band I dreamed they would evolve into, if Tom will keep insisting on breaking eye contact with his footwear to go strolling while performing. 
 
Enjoy the music ;)


brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x

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Tom plays Smokers at Soundcheck (detail) - 15th September 2025


A clip with a little bit of history attached. 

Tom will be playing at Cyprus Avenue in Cork tonight, and here's a burst of him sound-checking Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors. What makes this one a little special is that, but for nine days difference, it was almost exactly 20 years ago that Tom played this same venue with a fledgling band he was a member of. I think they were called Editors? Something like that. I wonder whatever happened to them? 

Enjoy the music ;) 


brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x


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