Despite having heard endless hype extolling this British band, I had yet to check out Editors (no the!) until now.
The floor was packed with eager fans of all ages, from high school hipsters to the octogenarian dancing emphatically in front of me. Editors emerged on stage donned in monochromatic black. At first I felt skeptical of their ability to match the endless accolades I had heard. My immediate reaction was to identify them as an inferior Interpol knock off; however, that judgment quickly changed as they captured me with their invigorating performance.
They kicked off the night with the haunting song Camera, and lead singer Tom Smith crooned, Through the lens of a camera, does it remove all our pain? They then launched into the title song of their sophomore effort, An End Has a Start. This song proved much more upbeat, as were the slew of infectious songs that followed. High pitched staccato guitars darted in and out of the warm blanket of bass for the majority of songs they played.
Smith has a magnetic stage presence. Gesturing dramatically, his pantomimes sometimes matched the lyrics he sang and sometimes just reached desperately for the crowd. He moved spasmodically, bursting with bouts of excitement. At one point, Smith knocked the mic off the stand and was much too engrossed in his guitar playing to notice, until he approached it to sing, confused at its absence. He later flung himself facedown across the piano, punching the keys with his knees. Fluidly transitioning between dancing with his guitar and playing the piano, Smith lacked a rock-star attitude and genuinely seemed to enjoy himself. He filled the room with overflowing charisma, and the crowd ate it up.
I cant comment as much on the other band members because my eyes were glued to Smiths entrancing performance. The bassist, Russell Leetch, matched Smiths enthusiasm and also jumped around the stage vigorously. Chris Urbanowicz bounced in a mellower manner, but still breathed life into the music with his impeccable guitar playing.
Many of the fans sang along to every single song in the long set, displaying the lack of filler between their two albums and Editors ability to connect. As they exited the stage, the crowd screamed for their return. The fans rhythmic applause dissipated into scattered claps as they zealously chanted, Editors! Meeting their demand, the band returned to the stage and launched into The Racing Rats, among others. As with many of their other songs, piercing guitar riffs intertwined with warm piano chords to create a pleasant saturation. Smith sang, Fall down to my knees, begin my nightmare, but the show proved only to be a dream for their many fans. Editors need no editing, as they delivered an absolutely riveting performance.
