This is the second evening of Idlewild’s two ABC shows, marking somewhat of a comeback, supporting the release of their first album in six years, Everything Ever Written
Support for this evening is provided by Siobhan Wilson who opens with ‘Dear God’, a beautifully melancholy open letter to whatever omnipresent being may be up there.
Having last seen Wilson at the Cambridge Folk Festival of all places, the ABC is a completely different setting to the gazebo in which she played on a warm July day last year, although her voice and guitar (only accompanied by one other musician on keyboard, tambourine and guitar) travels well throughout the venue, albeit the audience grow increasingly louder with their chat throughout the set.
Wilson shows her stunningly high vocal range on ‘Say It’s True’, before closing with the slightly more upbeat ‘All Dressed Up’.
The young Scottish singer/songwriter Wilson proves herself as a very competent and deserving support act, to one of the country’s finest musical exports.
Idlewild come on stage playing ‘Nothing I Can Do About It’, from Everything Ever Written, before guitarist Rod Jones fires into the big riff of new album’s opener ‘Collect Yourself’.
Although both of these new songs receive a good reaction from the sold-out crowd, it is not until the familiar riff of ‘You Held The World In Your Arms’ (played on a violin, strangely, but to good effect) rings out that the crowd start to move around; before popular songs ‘I Understand It’ and ‘Little Discourage’ complete a trio of crowd pleasers.
New song ‘Come On Ghost’ is very good, with guest saxophonist Sam Irvine playing the solo, as lead singer Roddy Woomble walks offstage (as he does during many of the instrumental parts in the set) to allow the rest of the band to take the spotlight.
They then go from brand new Idlewild to some very early material, playing ‘A Film For The Future’ and ‘Captain’, which go down a treat.
With fan favourites such as ‘American English’ and an excellent version of ‘El Capitan’, new album closer ‘Utopia’ seems like a little bit of an anti climatic way to complete the set.
This is duly rectified in the encore, as ‘Too Long Awake’ is followed by the huge guitar riff of ‘A Modern Way Of Letting Go’, before the huge wall of sound accompanied by the poetry of Edwin Morgan at the end of ‘In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction’ close what is a very good return to Glasgow.
Words: Neil Hayton
Rave Child 