This is a show that at the time had been tantalising us on German
broadcaster NDR's schedule for 2 months, before they finally made good
on their moodcore promise. I'm putting this back on YouTube after a it
was blocked worldwide in 2018, and hopefully it'll stick around long
enough for you all to enjoy it. Thanks to HomeAtBerlin for the
inspiration ;)
I love the grit and dirt that a good bootleg brings, but there's also a place in my affections for professional recordings which is what we have here. It's not always the case, however. There are bands I love who have made their own official live albums, but succumbed to the temptation of washing away the very thing that made it thrilling in the studio afterwards. Then again, it must be extremely tough to willingly overlook a perceived imperfection that happened quite naturally over the course of a gig, but a sloppily played note or a beautiful burst of feedback can often add something magical to a setlist. I'm thinking of Tom's timing being totally off, and the resulting restart, during The Pulse at Best Kept Secret in 2016. I felt like it added to the evening not just as a tension breaker, but by humanizing the band for a few minutes.
I suppose that theory really does depend on the musician, too. I imagine, for example, that this would be heresy to someone like Mariah Carey whose relationship to precision is a lot less relaxed than Editors. Even though there's some kinship in the fact that Tom does have the best vocal range in the UK. Fact.
For the hoplessly obsessed, there are a multitude of barely hidden treasures on offer here; Tom saying "Oh Justin", just before Mr Lockey dives into the arthritis-causing rapid strumming section of Cold; the unintentional wrong-key screw up by Russell at the exact moment he's just been introduced by Tom during Smokers. Blood with Elliott's keyboards sounding enormous, Tom verbally giving Elliott the cue to begin his "Never lonely in town" vocals, the electronics at the start of Nothingness and so on.
I suppose that theory really does depend on the musician, too. I imagine, for example, that this would be heresy to someone like Mariah Carey whose relationship to precision is a lot less relaxed than Editors. Even though there's some kinship in the fact that Tom does have the best vocal range in the UK. Fact.
For the hoplessly obsessed, there are a multitude of barely hidden treasures on offer here; Tom saying "Oh Justin", just before Mr Lockey dives into the arthritis-causing rapid strumming section of Cold; the unintentional wrong-key screw up by Russell at the exact moment he's just been introduced by Tom during Smokers. Blood with Elliott's keyboards sounding enormous, Tom verbally giving Elliott the cue to begin his "Never lonely in town" vocals, the electronics at the start of Nothingness and so on.
August 2018 was the section of the promotional campaign for VI OLENCE that preceded the band taking a break to prepare for their first UK tour in three years. They'd performed in every month from March 2018 onwards and because of the sheer volume of gigs they'd played prior to this one, you can appreciate just how familiar they were with the material. It shows in how fluid they are when they deliver it, and if you couple that with a professional recording we have a perfect sample of where Editors were in 2018. It also reminds you of just what they can do on any stage and at any venue in the world.
Enjoy the music ;)
MP3s
Cold - 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
Munich - download here
Nothingness - download here
Violence - download here
No Harm - download here
Racing Rats - download here
Papillon - download here
Magazine - download here
Complete MP3 of broadcast - download here
Official NDR Stream - stream it here
Complete MP3 of broadcast - download here
Official NDR Stream - stream it here
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
