Right from the get-go, let me say this is a recording by a YouTube user with the handle Herr Steppsch and all the credit should go their way. I'm just preserving it and making sure it reaches the people who need it. Normally I would contact the taper and ask if they were cool with me Archiving their work, but I couldn't find any details for making that happen. If you happen to be reading this, thank you very much. If you want me to remove the file, drop me a line and I'll be more than happy to oblige.
This is a recording from Tom's second tour, in support of his debut solo record There is Nothing in the Dark That Isn't There in the Light. The personnel on stage remains the same as last years adventure in travel, but the set list has been suitably altered to give this run of shows an identity all their own. Not least because it contains a brand new song which will in time be released by Editors, called The Hills We Died Upon. There will be a period of transition midway through the year, where Tom rejoins that group and the work towards presenting the next Editors album will begin. I wondered if we'd get lucky and they would road test new material when they play the festival shows in the summer, but it's actually happened a lot sooner.
This show has a lot to recommend it. For one, and in comparative terms, Tom sounds so much more comfortable in this setting now. The music itself has also gone through a total transformation. The circle to be squared was always going to be how to take these entities that have lived and developed their own personalities, some for over 20 years, and make them sound new and exciting. That's exactly what has been achieved. I'm also so happy that theses shows are being received so well, and the excellent German crowd here did a fine job of opening their arms and welcoming these people to their town. Boom boom.
There's a "Tom swears" moment toward the end of the show, as well as a cheery proclamation that
"nothing lasts forever". After years of trying to exorcise the demons through sombre serenading, the boy still has some darkness in him.
There's also a return for a Bob Dylan cover in the shape of It Ain't Me Babe, a song which Tom has previously played as part of a radio session with Dermot O-Leary way back in 2009. If you want to check it out, go here.
Enjoy the music ;)
MP3s
Deep Dive - download here
How Many Times - download here
Endings Are Breaking My Heart - download here
All the Kings - download here
The Weight - download here
Life Is for Living - download here
Honesty - download here
No Sound but the Wind - download here
Souls - download here
Broken Time - download here
The Phone Book - download here
What Is This Thing Called Love - download here
Northern Line - download here
An End Has a Start - download here
Blood - download here
Leave - download here
Munich - download here
Ocean of Night - download here
Papillon - download here
It Ain't Me, Babe - download here
The Hills We Died Upon - download here
Lights of New York City - download here
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors - download here
All in a Zip - download here
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;)
