LIVE REVIEW: Idles in Toronto, ON on September 8, 2022

British punk band Idles brought their tour to History in Toronto for two nights last week, on September 7th and 8th. 

Injury Reserve warmed up the eager crowd with their unique, experimental brand of rap. Ritchie With a T commanded the crowd’s attention right from the beginning of the set, impressing all with his unpredictable and intense delivery. The band played almost all of their 2021 album “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” in order for their set. For stage lighting they only used two strobe lights and a tall lamp. They didn’t use any of the venue’s stage lights until the final song of their set, “Bye Storm” when the stage strobe lights all came on in sync with the beat at the end of the song. It was a beautiful, cathartic moment that the whole 40 minute set had been leading up to.

Idles took the stage soon after to a packed room of people ready to mosh and dance. Singer Joe Talbot spoke to the crowd between songs a few times throughout the set, with the crowd hanging on to every word. He received the most supportive cheers when he called for a moment of silence for all people and countries affected by England’s colonization, in light of the Queen’s death earlier that same day. 

Idles played much of their new album “Crawler”. But, the songs that got the biggest reaction from the crowd were “I’m Scum” and “Danny Nedelko” both from their 2018 album “Joy as an Act of Resistance”. The packed venue sang along and enthusiastically participated in every call and response. Idles had everyone singing along to a short snippet of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” before closing their set with “Rottweiler”.