Live Review: IDLES @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Returning to Australia for the first time since Splendour In The Grass 2023, UK rock outfit IDLES performed their at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne last night to massive praise. Hot off last year’s TANGK LP, the band is on a mission - spreading their infectious energy and angry optimism across the known world at remarkable speed.  

A steady stream of well-received records, beginning with 2017’s Brutalism all the way to last year’s TANGK, has led the band to international punk-rock stardom. With contemporaries such as Amyl And The Sniffers and Viagra Boys as well as collaborations with oddballs Danny Brown, LCD Soundsystem, Kenny Beats, and Nigel Godrich, IDLES have verified their superstar status while retaining their Bristol roots. 

Opening the night were new Melbourne band L☆UR☆ And The HELL CUTZ - a brand-new offshoot from local punks They Might Be Dead Frogs.  With a fresh sound and a lot of personality, their brief set made for a memorable live debut with impromptu and violent energy. 

Brooklyn natives Nation Of Language took the sophomore spot for the evening with a set of 80s-style synth-pop bangers—there’s nothing like a dynamically different line-up to keep you on your feet. Wearing influences of Depeche Mode and New Order on their sleeves, the group celebrated their debut in a new nation whilst mourning the latest news of their own - combining pop sensibility with an activist edge. 

Fan favourite Weak In Your Light made for the highlight, but the whole set was a tight and fun sample of the band’s repertoire. 

When the headliners finally took to the stage, the crowd was practically ravenous. IDLES attract a huge range of fans - from bikers to children to old men, queers to queens and everything in between.

At the band’s core is a criticism of traditional masculinity, the status quo and the world at large. Described as a “Post-Brexit” band, IDLES redefines punk rock for the 2020s. 

Opening with IDEA 01 - the first track from TANGK - IDLES cinematically launched into their transcendent live show. 

Following up with fan favourite Colossus made a massive impact, especially after a slowed-down intro faded into the real thing, blowing the socks off all in the vicinity. 

The first massive highlight of the show was the early track, Mother. An absolute anthem, the song is about singer Joe Talbot’s mum - as well as the misconceptions surrounding women and motherhood. It's one of the band’s first true strokes of genius, and it’s even better live. Bridge lyrics “It starts in our books and behind our school gates” highlights the truths behind systematic misogyny and gendered violence.  

Taking time between songs to interact with the audience, Talbot told stories to relay the core theme of love. Thanking the staff of a tattoo shop he met the other day, the vocalist told a tale of connection with the people he met there and the openness he felt within. 

Speaking on love, Talbot reminded us to share. Share when you feel alone, sad, or anything at all. The deep importance of connecting with others, communicating your humanity and spreading positivity throughout communities - quite a refreshing attitude for a rock band. 

Later hits Never Fight A Man With A Perm and Danny Nedelko made for crowd melters, stirring up the pit into a true mosh.  

Collaborative tracks POP POP POP and Dancer went off live as well, especially with Dancer’s hilarious Mariah Carey tribute on the intro. 

Overall, it was a great time at the bowl. IDLES and supports L☆UR☆ And The HELL CUTZ and Nation Of Language made for a dynamically different line-up of varied performers from differing origins and sounds. Headliners IDLES delivered a rock-solid message that moved the passionate crowd physically and emotionally and set the standard for how to put on a show at this iconic Melbourne venue.