Photo by Alessia Cosentini
The EBM tour finally reached its conclusion at the Codru festival in Romania, on the 30th of August 2024. This was the closing date to a series of promotional appearances that have spanned just under two years and we now have edgy, anticipatory joys of waiting for the next move by Editors. The final show was not without some...challenges, however, as the band's equipment was stuck in traffic and failed to make it to the venue on time for their set. Rather than bailing out entirely, Tom fulfilled the live obligation on his own. This was very interesting for two reasons.
Although we don't know what future proposals and agreements are being fashioned in 6 civilian lives there was a very big hint dropped by Ed in a back stage interview at Montreux last month. If he's correct, then Tom could very well be about to shoulder the artistic burdens of creating music alone, a contrast to the more collaborative methodology of the last 20 years or so. Was this gig and unintended indicator of the way things are heading, forced from circumstances beyond the band's control?
Secondly, this surprise finale to the EBM tour acts as a statement that aside from all the studio precision and production it took to get that collection of songs to retail-standard, their core is inherently human. A tour promoting such a frenetic, machine-driven album birthed from distant, online assembly between participants during a pandemic ended very quietly with just a songwriter and his guitar. The very essence of where all of this began.
Time for a side-note.
The biggest music news of August, unless you were deep underwater searching for Atlantis and missed it, was that Oasis are getting back together. I'm mentioning this in a blog about Editors because...Tom used to play Talk Tonight by that band way, way before he ever even met the other 3 members of the band at university.
I would love to hear a recording of it, but alas I think that's as likely as getting to hear Dream Dark as Your Heaven (nope, still not forgotten).
The point is that they were an influence on him, in the same was that R.E.M. were and they also reformed (albeit briefly) back in June. The connection there that is two of Tom Smith's primary musical motivators who eventually led to him being in Editors reunited in 2024. It's a year of circles being completed.
There's nothing to do now but submit to the familiar pause that's been activated, and hope there's something on the other side of it. I expect the official output on Instagram to dwindle somewhat (apart from Elliott and Justin who are always cooking something visually) but I'll still be here. Hope you all will too.
Editors Instagram - August 2024
For all of Editors' other Instagram posts, go here.
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
