Review: The Editors, The Picture House

Published on Tuesday 13 October 2009 10:04

The Editors ****, The Picture House

REGARDED by many as the main proponents of doom and gloom rock, it is perhaps slightly ironic that on this occasion the most fitting words to describe the performance were 'energetic' and 'dazzling'.

Having just released their new album In This Light and On This Evening the same day – hailed as an abrupt shift toward a more raw, less guitar focused sound – many a fan surely pondered over whether familiar tracks from their previous two platinum selling albums might be abandoned in favour of progress. However, as it turned out, there was something for both the nostalgic and the die-hards eager to embrace the unknown.

Opening with the hypnotic, trance-like title track from the latest album, this moody, atmospheric entry was immediately followed by the effervescent Bullets and scintillating An End Has a Start, lead singer Tom Smith's boundless energy whipping the crowd into an ecstatic frenzy.

This juxtaposition of fresh and familiar was to typify the night, and while it offered an immensely accessible greatest hits feel, the continuity of the performance perhaps suffered for it at times; the screeching, raucous guitar that typified tracks from earlier records would routinely give way to brooding baselines and epic synthesisers, stifling the energy of the more than willing crowd.

Offering few words throughout, enigmatic Smith declared: "I hope you're having as good a time as I am." Nonetheless, few would have disagreed. Shifting between piano, keyboard and guitar, often mid-song, the charismatic frontman exuded a confidence and enthusiasm throughout that typified the band as a whole, unquestionably operating at the height of their abilities.

In this light and on this evening, the Editors have more than proven their worth as one of the best live bands in Britain today.