CityLife

Editors

Editors
Apollo
March 16, 2010

Rock music snobs have often said that the appeal of The Editors lies in the production values of their studio work.

Having seen this show at the Manchester Apollo, it's clear to me that the four-piece band from Birmingham can indeed impress when they're playing live too.

The Editors are touring the UK to promote album This Light And On The Evening, which was released last autumn.

As many of the tracks are electronic in composition, I'd expected to see an abundance of synthesizers and keyboards accompanying the band on stage.

And of course they were there.

But I was surprised by the type of performance that was delivered.

There was far more energy, verve and vibrancy than someone who had only ever heard them on record might expect.

They opened with their new album's title track and while it could have been easy to get lost in the music, I found myself entranced by the band itself.

Frontman Tom Smith has that mesmerising stage presence that any lead singer should – he is charismatic and engaging while intensely focused on the lyrics he is singing.

His vocals were particularly strong during the tracks Blood and Munich from the first album The Back Room.

One of the show highlights was track Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool, with its pounding introduction and haunting lyrics.

As the song features a plethora of different sounds from various instruments, Tom and band members Chris Urbanowicz (lead guitar, synthesizer), Russell Leetch (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Ed Lay (drums, percussion) were rushing around the stage to ensure the riffs kicked in at the exact moment.

The song's complexity was apparent, but the band delivered it effortlessly and the live version brings a raw element to the song (no pun intended).

Recent single Papillon was energetic and brought the audience to its feet at the end of the show.

The 90-minutes predominantly consisted of tracks from the new album.

One song that was missing on the set-list was radio favourite All Sparks from their first album.

The Editors aren't for everyone as their sounds are often experimental and hard to listen to, but they delivered a strong set at the Apollo and will be around for a while.

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