I went to see IDLES perform their final show in 2024 & it was perfect

In what was the five-piece’s 106th show this year - an average of one show every three days, IDLES have arguably been the workhorses of the British rock music scene in 2024, and it’s safe to say that they reaped the rewards. With major festival appearances at Glastonbury and Rock Werchter, their second UK No.1 album in ‘Tangk’ and three Grammy Awards nominations among the highlights of the year for the band.

Despite performing a select arena show at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow this autumn, IDLES have predominantly stuck to more intimate venues such as the Apollo. However, as their popularity continues to grow, it wouldn’t shock me to see them doing bigger shows next time out.

As the band stepped on stage, the lights went out and the delicately layered and brooding ‘Idea 01’ opened, serving as a moment of peace and tranquillity before an explosion of pace. A rendition of the slow-building ‘Colossus’ showcases frontman Joe Talbot’s impressive vocal range and masterful showmanship from the band, setting the tone for what would be an explosive night of live music.

Tracks such as ‘Roy’ create the picture of someone in emotional turmoil. The track contains a soulful explosion in the chorus that once again highlights Talbot’s limitless range, and reminds me of the iconic ‘House of the Rising Sun’ by The Animals. ‘I’m Scum’ is delivered with a powerful growl and is a track that serves as a defiant parade to celebrate flaws.‘Pop Pop Pop’ is sung in almost a nonchalant manner with the track fuelled by a gorgeous bassline and punchy drum beats.

Notorious for being influenced by current events, yesterday’s show featured several ceasefire chants and pro-Palestine references, immigration with the pro-immigration track ‘Danny Nedelko’ that drew a euphoric response from the audience, and the aforementioned ‘I’m Scum’ leads the audience into anti-monarchy chants. Then there is the not-so-subtle ‘Mother’ with the lyric “the best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich”, and the spine-tingling pro-NHS anthem ‘Divide and Conquer’, which is littered with powerful guitar screeches that reverberate throughout the intimate O2 Apollo.

Throughout the evening, Talbot was in a reflective mood as he reminisced about the band’s 106 shows and the memories from a hectic 2024. He made a concerted effort to thank audiences for providing them with the opportunity to tour and perform for a living. I believe the singer’s sincerity and his willingness to express vulnerability are a large reason why audiences revere him so much.

The band’s setlist had a perfect variety of tracks from their first album ‘Brutalism’ to ‘Tangk’, with hits such as the violent comedown from a hangover ‘Car Crash’, the disco-punk fused track ‘Gift Horse’, ‘the rapid-fire and chaotic ‘Mr.Motivator’ is laced with satirical celebrity references, the shimmering ‘Jungle’ is fuelled with a gorgeous guitar riff and the infectious ‘Dancer’ is powered by a striking bassline provide a nice variety of hits on the evening.

For the final song of the evening, tonight’s opener Willie J. Healey and his backing band return to the stage to perform a fiery rendition of ‘Rottweiler’ before Talbot ends the thrilling performance with an abridged cover of ‘All I Want For Christmas’.