This is no false ‘idle’ – punk is back

The Idles, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

GONE are the totemic Mohawk hair styles but the sentiments are the same. In a world where class is challenged and the ruling classes are very challenging, its time for a snarling rebuff in the form of a bit of post-punk, and especially indie darlings the Idles.

The consummate five-piece from Bristol ply their noisy trade with balletic clashing guitars courtesy of the popinjay in his pants, Mark Bowen and rhythm Lee Kiernan, a brilliant backbone of bass and drums from Adam Devonshire and Jon Beavis respectively, with front man Joe Talbot busily going about his kinetic business with verve, tenet and charm.

Good punk has humour, heart and a good smattering of haughtiness and the Idles are saturated in it. Seeing a couple of the band setting up the merchandise stall and then milling about in the bar for a bit of pre-theatre medication shows an outfit ready a right royal knees up but never losing its connection with its fans – some of who had crossed the bridge from their home town.

Nearly all the set was hewn from recently-released Brutalism and from crowd-pleasing Well-Done and Stendhal Syndrome, chock-full of witty populist put downs and hooky riffs, to the heartwrenching tribute Mother and languid Slow Savage the bands output is steeped in relevance.

The opener Heel/Heal has cheeky phraselogy at the heart of its schtick, and in other hands may come across a bit throwaway but The Idles have conviction and its this that hammers their delightful message across.

I am old enough to have enjoyed the noise and energy of The Exploited, AntiPasti, Crass and the like first time around, when Thatcher was the much-deserved target of their ire and now the Idles have been handed the baton and have taken to it with panache and elan and a whole mosh pit full of charisma.

They are lively enough when listened to on vinyl or disc but when witnessed on stage the amplified chemical energy fizzes like potassium in a wet petri dish.

All sweat, swagger and spirit, this is an outfit that are tight as a drum and are as entertaining as cats on a robotic hoover.

Neil Cammies