Editors at Z7 Pratteln - 2 December 2018

After the wholesome and folk-inspired introduction by Tom-Smith collaborator and former Razorlight member Andy Burrows, the show was underway for Editors, one of Britain's foremost post-punk revivalists, consistently finding critical acclaim since their Birmingham origins in 2002. Led by Tom Smith's distinctively dynamic singing and their signature indie synthesiser sound, the headline act delivered a soulful and energetic performance at Pratteln's Z7.

While the venue is better known for its heavier and metal-oriented acts, every now and again a more upbeat and electronic sound is heard between its walls. That's not to say the Editors weren't grand in scale - on the contrary: they set the bar high with "Sugar", an early highlight in a set which culminated in the 105dB-cracking double bill of their ever-popular "Papillon" and the blistering and operatic "Hallelujah (So Low)", another highlight from their new album "Violence".

Alternating between the pulsing riffs and darkly poppy beats of their new material and the nostalgic guitar-driven sonic textures of their earlier work, Tom Smith & Co. conjured shared memories of youthful road trips viewed from the world-weary perspective of an older soul. The frontman's Ian Curtis-channeling baritone punctured the layers of steel-stringed and copper-wired instrumentation on tracks from the racing-heartbeat-paced title track from "Violence" to the eminently danceable (despite its bleak lyrical themes) "Nothingness".

Having stated that this new album is about "the need for human connection [...]; an intimacy, with a loved one or a friend, as an escape from the outside world", Smith brought these themes home with one of their closing songs, "Cold", a heartfelt plea for shelter from the emotional elements, with nothing worse than being ignored and shut out by another human being: "be a ghost tonight - but don't you be so cold".

Thanking the energetic crowd for spending their Sunday evening with him, Tom Smith and his fellow Editors departed the stage for good, having provided plenty of impassioned and wistful pop atmosphere in a stellar musical performance; a strong antidote to the lonesome damp and cold of the drizzling night air.

- Miles Prinzen

Listen to The English Show's interview with Editors keyboardist Elliott Williams here.