Editors dazzle Brixton Academy with career-spanning show

On the eerie notes of The Boxer, Tom Smith takes to a stage stripped down to the bare essentials. The coherence in the band’s career is admirable; they experiment yet they stick to what they know. Editors are true champions of British indie music.

The ensemble are currently touring their latest record, Violence. Of the new songs, Hallelujah (So Low) comes third, putting the Brixton Academy in a trance. Two classics follow – All Sparks and An End Has a Start – and the trance turns into a state of frenzy.

Tonight’s setlist draws from all their albums, and this balanced mix is a wise move. The lack of special effects makes more obvious what a born performer Smith really is; fearlessly visceral, he sings and dances while making the most of his impressive vocal range. The frontman’s energy tank seems bottomless.

Tracks such as Darkness at the Door, A Ton of Love and Formaldehyde contrast, intertwine with and complete the gloomier Magazine, No Harm and Violence. The crowd’s eruption comes on early hits Bullets and Blood, as well as the explosive dark synthpop hymn Papillon.

The Birmingham – though London-adopted – five-piece return to the stage for a truly sensational encore. It kicks off with Cold, the standout song from their last album; an inspiriting midtempo, it features the best and most uplifting guitar riff since the departure of Urbanowicz in 2012. Fan-favourite The Racing Rats and Editor’s chart-topping anthems Munich and Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors conclude this evening’s authentic rock show.

Filippo L’Astorina, the Editor
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina

For further information and future events visit Editors’ website here.

Watch the video for Cold here: