This is a mini-documentary of interviews and live footage band that was originally aired on Japanese music television as part of the show "On the Planet". I think this was around the end of 2006, or maybe the beginning of 2007. There's interviews with the band and a lot of live material, most of which I can confidently say you probably haven't seen before. The one attribute that makes it so alluring is the picture quality. This was from around the time when internet streaming was still developing, and so to have this ripped direct from TV instead makes a huge difference to the way it all looks. Included within the interviews is:-
Live clip of Lights at The Blender Bar Texas 17th March 2006
Live footage from Club Quattro 12th May 2006
Live footage from their show with Franz Ferdinand at Alexandra Palace 1st December 2005
The Alexandra Palace stuff is particularly significant because Editors metaphorically put down a marker at this show, even though they may not have even been consciously aware of it at the time. I say that because less that three years later in 2008 they were headlining the venue themselves, and they managed to do it over two consecutive nights. It was all part of their tentative steps towards booking larger venues, something which they became very proficient in when they began touring mainland Europe regularly.
There's lots of little things to enjoy here, from the casual way they put We Are Scientists down with shameful regularity, to the way that the ordinarily cuddly-looking Russell has the appearance of a stern enforcer, ready to refuse you entrance to the gloomiest nightclub in town because your shoes are crap. Watch the slick way that Tom manages to completely change his guitar in the middle of Fingers without dropping a note. Smooth.
The whole thing actually starts off strangely with Tom saying "Hello Editors", which caused me to pause the video and take a minute to really think about my situation. Did Mr Smith just address me as "Editors"? Shouldn't that be the other way around? Interesting. What if I've had this all wrong? Maybe I'm in some Sliding-Doors style parallel universe where I'm in the band and they're out there running the Archive? Excellent! If that's the case my first orders of business are to release all demos from the VI OLENCE sessions (home and studio), the entire Flood recordings featuring Chris, as well as Dream Dark as Your Heaven (nope, still haven't forgotten). Tremendous plans were afoot...briefly.
Unfortunately, I then checked Instagram just to be sure of my new status and saw that Tom is in Nashville with Andy Burrows, clearly making him the professional musician in this scenario, and with that my bubble of ridiculousness was burst. It was a brain fart. I am not in the band, and I am still running the Archive. But that's cool because I have stuff like this to pass along to folks like you. Enjoy ;) x
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
