It would be cruel to be too hard on Idlewild. After all, recent times have been turbulent for the Scottish indie-punkers. Following a rift over the band's musical direction, bassist Bob Fairfoull decided the others were slipping too close towards the melodic mainstream and promptly exited the band on their November tour. Gavin Fox from Irish group Turn will replace Fairfoull, but he's unavailable until January, so for this run of live shows Alex Garner is providing temporary relief.
Unsurprisingly, this bassist merry-go-round has wreaked havoc on Idlewild's live performance. The passion, drive, focus and raw energy that characterise their shows has temporarily - we hope - deserted them. The timing couldn't be any worse - a packed house at their largest venue yet - and with third album 'The Remote Part' riding high in the charts.
As soon as the wiry chords of 'Little Discourage' start up, it is clear that Idlewild aren't really here. The sound is so meek, you wonder if someone has pulled the bass chord out of the amplifier. More tellingly, frontman Roddy Woomble's normally passionate vocals are replaced by a listless murmur. It's difficult to tell whether he's lost all confidence in his band or if he simply doesn't care.
Let's not pretend Idlewild are the most diverse band, but what they do have is a good stock of well-written tunes. The likes of 'You Held The World In Your Arms' and 'American English' should drive that point home, but tonight they sound like discarded b-sides. They throw the rock star moves yet strangely seem completely disengaged from their audience. There's no banter either, apart from the odd incomprehensible murmur from Roddy. As they rattle through their back catalogue at increasing speed, it becomes apparent that they're happy to go through the motions.
For now then, Fairfoull's departure has left a big hole in the heart of Idlewild. As Woomble saunters his way through a way below par 'These Wooden Ideas', he sings "I bet you don't know how to sell conviction". Roddy may well know how to sell it, but he makes a poor job of it tonight.
