Editors at X-tra Club

Before the concert, Di and Maria had a chance to catch up with Ed Lay and Chris Urbanowicz.  Listen here to learn of the sacrifices they make for art (what, no skiing? in Switzerland? Isn't that akin to being taken to a candy store and told you can't have any of whats on offer?),  the value of a practical education, and what the future holds for Editors.  Click here for a google-streetview treasure hunt of across London of songs from their new album In this Light and on this Evening.

One has to wonder exactly just how many Weetabix Editors front man Tom Smith has for breakfast.  If you want to see a man who puts his all into his performance then this is the show for you:  expressive, visual and energetic.  I have to admire the courage it must take him to allow himself to be possessed by the music and lyrics, and show the audience how much it means.

Editors pretty much had me hooked after seeing them live a couple of years ago in Zürich.  I’m a big believer in the chemistry of a live performance, of course you can listen to the CD, but experiencing a live performance will tell you how you really feel about an artist. After realising I was rather embarrassingly out of the loop with respect to this critically acclaimed British band, I went to see them live before knowing any of their music, and the attraction was instantaneous.

Luckily I’m not alone in this assertion.  The last time I saw Editors I had the distinct impression the audience was slightly ex-pat heavy.  This time around they had enticed a predominantly Swiss audience into X-tra, whether this has been due to the appeal of the increased synth sound of the latest album, or maybe a lot of catching up has been going on, nevertheless the message has reached Zürich loud and clear.

There was a younger and more energetic element amongst the audience which was both refreshing and scary (well the latter for this reviewer anyway, prompted by envy no doubt).  If Swiss audiences have been thought to be a little staid in the past, then the younger generation are completely over that. From the opener, the title track from the new album In This Light and On This Evening, through to the last encore, Fingers in the Factories, the people around me danced, clapped and sang with intense enthusiasm.

Editors played a 20 song set featuring almost their entire new album and the best of the rest, Papillion provoking the most aerobic response from the audience.  The stage lighting and visuals were kept simple, but a band like this requires little enhancing as they provide all the entertainment required, and frankly I didn’t want to be distracted from the performances of the band members.  As one might expect, Tom’s sonorous baritone is more affecting live than on recorded material, he has grown further into the role as frontman, and compared with my last experience, looked more comfortable, and certainly more expressive as he roamed about the stage.  Chris switched smoothly between instruments and there were some great moments of Chris and Tom playing on opposite sides of a bank of keyboards.

It is a sad fact that drummers are often tucked away at the back of the stage, so it was hard to spot Ed behind his enhanced drum kit, but Russell was there at the front encouraging a willing audience to clap, and moved with energy around the stage.

This concert stands out among the many great musical experiences I've had this year.   You would be mistaken to pass up the opportunity to attend a performance the next time Editors are in the area - and do go see them while they are playing smaller venues, while you can.  X-tra, for instance, is probably the best venue in Zürich; it’s an ideal size with good acoustics. Neither of us is looking forward to the inevitable day when we will have to see Editors in the much larger and less intimate Hallenstadion.

Lastly, we'd like to make a plea to other reviewers to desist in making lazy analogies regarding this band.  Why should Editors suffer persistent comparison,  when their talent clearly shines?   Editors have taken a progressive change in direction with In This Light and On This Evening, there is no imitation. Further, if Chris’s comments in our interview with him are anything to go by, music will progress because there are musicians who get easily bored with repetition and feel the need to move forwards, all to the benefit of the music listening public.