Thursday 21/04/05 Idlewild and Sons and Daughters @ Octagon, Sheffield

Slinky guitars on 'Johnny Cash' swarm as self-styled banshee Adele Bethel stalks the stage, then like a pack of crazed, cackling wolves, they pounce. Forthcoming single 'Dance Me In' advances on at a relentless pace with looping White Stripes guitars and satanic Nick Cave vocals adding to the air of mania. By the time we reach the Joan Jet meets Von Bondies gang-fight stomp of 'Broken Bones' the audience is easy prey. At times their style is off kilter, jerking from folk mandolins to Siouxie Sioux goth-punk on 'Fight'. But it's The Coral meets The Good The Bad and The Ugly entrance of 'Gone' that sees them go in for the kill. Writhing like a thing possessed Adele flings herself round the stage, the tension so visible you could cut the air with a knife. Sons and Daughter's basic nature is confrontation and the howling climatic chorus unlocks more than a few primal urges in the audience members. When the dance ends they tend to fall a bit flat, leaning more towards the country jamboree. Fusing their chaotic folk mix with razor sharp guitars on vampiric 'Taste The Last Girl' they get the balance just right. Under a hail of noise, singer faces guitarist Scott Patterson for one last stand off, shaking her tambourine like she means business, this one band you wouldn't want to cross on a night out.

 

Headliners Idlewild are in a retrospective mood, with a set that satisfies old and new fans alike. The crowd greets Roddy and co like an old friend, the quiet, shimmery guitars of 'Too Long Awake', proves that greatness doesn't need to shout, it whispers. The gentle swoon that moves through single 'Love Steals Us From Loneliness' enough to give anyone a warm fuzzy glow that continues with the quietly confident punk pop of 'I Am A Message', Idlewild are clearly on form and savouring every moment.

 

Forthcoming single 'I Understand It' has an anthemic, gospel like quality to it, with Happy Mondays style percussion that could see them moving in new directions. 'Little Discourage' is a further return to their roots, followed by an epic version of 'Modern Way of Letting Go' that leaves the crowd smiling from ear to ear. Breaking into anecdotes about getting locked in the attic as a child, frontman Roddy Woomble looks assured and at ease, 'Welcome Homes' simple acoustic glow has an air of the storyteller about it. At times more poet than singers 'You Held The World In Your Arms' has an almost spiritual quality, and for a moment everyone close their eyes and surrenders themselves to it. Despite having lost some of the punky edginess of 'I See Shapes When I Argue', they are none the poorer for it, turning country tinged 'El Capitan' and crowd favourite 'American Dream' into a drunken singalong.

 

'Roseability' sees them retaining some of their former bile, with an energetic bounce that works the crowd like puppets on a string. They fling themselves around like whirling dervishes and mounting the speakers like a rock demi-god. Idlewild clearly know how to play the game, while possibly missing the raw talent of former bassist Bob Fairfoull they have clearly moved on. Returning for encore of gently emotional 'Not Just Sometimes But Always' they that soars above the stage, ending in a triumphant explosion of noise with 'Film About The Future'. Idlewild are back and ready to face their demons, but for this audience they never really went away.