Gig review: Idles rock the Olympia, Dublin, as they show support for Palestine
A file picture of Idles, the British band who played three nights at the Olympia. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
★★★★☆
The lack of a midsize, 5,000-capacity venue in Dublin is clear when it comes to a band like Idles. The Bristol five-piece have been going for 15 years and have found a rich vein of form in the first half of this decade, with three albums in the bag thus far, though 2018's Joy as an Act of Resistance is still their defining release.
They've steadily grown, so much so that they headlined the second stage at Glastonbury this summer. They were last seen in these parts on support duties for LCD Soundsystem at Malahide Castle in June. It's a treat to see them on the third and final night at the Olympia this week - but they've far outgrown such intimate surroundings.
They're also a band who it's easy to be cynical about. They make big, brash rock music with singer Joe Talbot happy to wear his lyrics on sleeve. "How you like them cliches," he grins on 'Mr Motivator' - though a line in that song about Conor McGregor is notably absent this week
. How are we supposed to resist lines like "My blood brother's Palestinian", as he pronounces on the ferocious Danny Nedelko near the end of the setlist or “Viva Palestina!” as he roars on 'The Wheel' earlier in the 23-song setlist? He just gets it. Idles prod any prejudices and run with it.
"This is an anti-fascist song,” Talbot says of 'Pop Pop Pop' off latest album TANGK, though you could probably take it as gospel that all of the tracks played on Thursday are anti-fascist. He dedicates Samaritans to his pal James, who suffers with bipolar disorder: “Man up, sit down, chin up, pipe down, socks up, don't cry, drink up, just lie, grow some balls, he said, grow some balls.”
It’s easy to lose track of what’s going on, however, as guitarists Lee Kiernan and Mark Bowen, from Belfast and wearing a fetching pink dress, venture into the crowd. It’s also hard to tell who’s enjoying it more, the band members or the adoring watchers-on.
All the while Talbot is stomping around onstage in a plain white tee and black pants and shoes, his pink hair flashing under the lights. His voice is unbelievable, guttural cries accentuating his emotions. How he doesn’t lose his voice after every show is a credit to his vocal training. He gives everything in The End, the closing track from 2021’s Crawler. “In spite of it all, life is beautiful,” he spits on that live rarity. By the time 'Crawl!' comes around, he’s feeling magni-fuckin-fique.
They finish with 'Rottweiler', getting a couple of members from Belfast support band Chalk out to help amplify things. Idles put on a show that looks easy for them. They’re made for the biggest of stages and the widest of crowds, adoring or otherwise; Talbot will happily take them on and try and turn any prejudices. “Look at him go,” Talbot sings on 'Gift Horse' - who knows how far Idles have left to run.
