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| I D L E W I L D Supported by Ikara colt & Aereogramme 20.04.02 It’s too early for this. Due to the Astoria’s club night commitments, we find ourselves watching tonight’s openers AEREOGRAMME at just past 6:30, but surprisingly they still manage to play to a roughly 40% full venue, despite their set almost clashing with BBC’s "Final Score"! The set is an impressive one, though clearly not everyone is impressed. The front man gets called a wanker half way through proceedings by someone in the crowd, only for the vocalist to return the same comment later on in the performance! Even having a Russell Crowe look-alike on bass doesn’t put me off the fact that this band are worthy of attention. IKARA COLT are a band I’m vastly familiar with already, so I was slightly disappointed that their set seemed even more samey as usual. "City Of Glass" & the closing romp of "Sink Venice" are satisfying enough, but something still tells me that this band will have to offer something more than this if they are to be around this time next year. After all, with The Fall playing just across town on the same night, why settle for the impersonators? So down to the real business then. IDLEWILD. Three years on since my ‘Wild gig at the same venue, tonight proves how much the band have progressed brilliantly into one of Britain’s best bands at the moment. We start where it all began, the opening bars of "Captain" sets off the sell out crowd for the night. "Little Discourage" & new single "You Held The World in Your Arms" follow, the latter sounding 100 times better live having been stripped of the violins. Other highlights from the back catalogue include the gorgeous "I’m Happy to be Here Tonight" & "Roseability". But tonight’s main focus is the new tracks. "American English" sounds even better this time having heard it previously at the shambolic Kings College gig. "The Remote Part" is accompanied with weird visuals, and "I am what I am not" will still please fans of "Hope Is Important" era. Then, once the wonderful "Film for the Future" comes to a close & Roddy stares up at the "Support your local poet" banner that has been behind them all night, we’re allowed to leave. As I type this, Idlewild have gone into the singles chart at Number 9. With any justice there is greater things to come for a band who continue to get better with every performance. Jonathan Carey |