Idles showed solidarity with the people of Palestine during the launch show for new album ‘Tangk‘ at Brixton Electric in London last night (Friday February 16). See footage, the setlist and more from the gig below.
The gig was a special ‘out-store’ event hosted by Rough Trade for fans who had pre-ordered the album – released yesterday – and saw the band showcase nine songs from ‘Tangk’ alongside a run of fan favourites.
Several times during the night, frontman Joe Talbot voiced his support for the people of Gaza suffering as a result of the war with Israel. Introducing ‘Mother’, he paid tribute to his own late mum’s social conscience and told the crowd: “I know deep within my heart, that if she was alive today, she would want me to say: ‘Long live Palestine’.”
During ‘The Wheel’, he altered the lyrics to the chorus to “Can I get a hallelujah? Viva Palestina“, before dedicating the ode to immigrants ‘Danny Nedelko’ to the people of Gaza and singing: “My blood brother’s Palestinian, my best friend is a citizen, he’s strong, he’s earnest, he’s innocent.”
“I’d like to dedicate this song to the Palestinians and the people of Gaza, said Talbot ahead of the latter. “I fucking hope something changes very soon. Thank you very much. Viva Palestine, viva you, and viva Danny Ne-ducking-delko.”
The gig also saw Idles’ invite a fan named Paul on stage to attempt to play guitar during new song ‘Hall & Oates’, much to the band and audience’s amusement.
At the time of writing, the current death toll of Palestinians in Gaza stands at 28,775, with around 1,410 Israeilis killed and around 100 Israeli hostages still remaining in Hamas captivity after the October 7 attacks. Israel is currently being urged by many Palestinian supporters not to send ground forces into Rafah on the Egyptian border, where many of the strip’s citizens are now living after areas closer to their homes became engulfed by fighting. Around 1.5million people are living in Rafah, among fears that there are few to no other places for Palestinians to seek refuge. Thousands are expecting to gather at Pro-Palestinian rallies in London today.
Idles’ statements come after Bob Vylan criticised them and Sleaford Mods last year for not being vocal on the issue. “It’s a cowardly fucking thing,” said frontman Bobby Vylan during a gig. “So fuck Idles, fuck Sleaford Mods and fuck every single one of those fucking apolitical bands that don’t want to fucking speak up when there’s something a little bit iffy, a little bit touchy, a little bit sensitive [because they’ve] got a fucking bullshit album to sell.”
After cutting a gig in Madrid short due to a protest with a Palestinian flag from an audience member, Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson later clarified his stance. “Some context is needed about Madrid,” he wrote. “I’m horrified by the atrocities committed in Gaza and Israel and I’m horrified by the atrocities committed elsewhere in the world that are not in the current news cycle.
“I’m angry about the manipulation of human grief and rage by politicians, the media, agitators, and social media platforms to stoke the fire of separation, dehumanisation, division and hate.”
See more footage from the show and the setlist below.
Idles’ setlist was:
‘IDEA 01’
‘Colossus’
‘Gift Horse’
‘Car Crash’
‘Mr. Motivator’
‘Mother’
‘POP POP POP’
‘I’m Scum’
‘The Wheel’
‘Heel/Heal’
‘Roy’
‘Grace’
‘Hall & Oates’ (Bought fan called Paul on stage)
‘Crawl!’
‘Gratitude’
‘A Gospel’
‘Never Fight a Man With a Perm’
‘Dancer’
‘Danny Nedelko’ (Dedicated to the people of Gaza)
‘Rottweiler’
Speaking to NME for this week’s ‘In Conversation’ interview, Talbot explained how love, gratitude and patience were a driving force behind the band’s new album – and how fatherhood had helped shape his worldview and stance on politics.
“‘Delicate’ is the word. Since becoming a father, I’ve addressed that in my art,” Talbot told NME. “I was a very impatient man; even after sobriety. I was a fucking nasty bastard back in the day when I wanted to be, and I hurt a lot of people. I wanted to stop, and that takes time and forgiveness. I found patience, but in the most beautiful way. I’m covered in someone else’s faeces, and someone else is shouting at me with their hand on their hip because they’re running late for something. It makes me laugh! It makes me realise just how fucking silly it is.
“If you just put yourself in that little person’s shoes, you can do that with anyone. I’m starting to do that. I was very fucking disheartened by post-Brexit Britain, then you realise everyone’s been massively fucking lied to. They knew they were lying, and there are people there with lives and stories. I just had to be more patient to understand it. Now I’m worried, but I don’t carry that sense of resentment towards decisions that are detrimental to… free trade? Let’s put it that way… fucking pricks.”
Describing the band’s manifesto as “All is love, love is the thing”, Talbot continued: “It’s about human connection. It’s the fable of the sun and the wind: you can fucking blow as hard as you can and just keep screaming down the barrel of the gun and it ain’t gonna change shit.
“But if you shine and you show people compassion, you listen and you have an open heart, then maybe that connection will be made.”
‘Tangk’ by Idles is out now. The band will tour throughout 2024. Visit here for tickets and more information.