REM / The Zutons / Idlewild - KC Stadium, Hull, 05/07/05 by Nicholas Boldock photos by Matt Rudd & SMC

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As is the way with these things, it's chucking it down when Idlewild arrive on stage. Presumably the rain doesn't bother them - they are from Scotland after all, and therefore no strangers to Biblically-proportioned downpours. Which is just as well, as the heavens have well and truly opened. It's a shame that so many people choose to stay out of the rain and hide in the concourse during Idlewild's set, because they miss a treat.

Their loss. Idlewild are great, especially when they play their better-known songs, notably "You Held The World In Your Arms", which pops up surprisingly early in the set, "Live In A Hiding Place", and big hit "American English", which they sensibly save for last.

These days Idlewild don't look quite so fresh-faced as they used to. Front man Roddy Woomble appears onstage sporting an impressively unkempt barnet and looking seriously in need of a shave. But, damn it, he looks cool. In fact he looks so much the rock star that he should probably go off and shag Gwyneth Paltrow or something. Oh hang on... my researcher just told me that's already been done. Oh well. Never mind. As a live act, Idlewild have it nailed down. The audience seem to be fairly lukewarm towards them but there again, coming on at six o'clock when it's raining tigers and dingoes is hardly a head-start, is it?

Personally I would have had Idlewild on later and put The Zutons on first so that fewer people had to endure them. Call me a philistine if you wish, but I do not, cannot, and will not, get the appeal of The Zutons. How on earth they managed to become national press-darlings, sell a bucketload of albums, and even pick up a Mercury Prize nomination, is one of the world's great unsolved mysteries.

You want indie-pop-by-numbers, with no ingenuity, no originality, no invention? Then this lot are for you. With the notable exception of "Dirty Dancehall", which is admittedly a well-crafted, catchy track, The Zutons offer up a set of songs which (a) sound remarkably similar, and (b) by which I mean they are all as dull as shit and only half as interesting. Of course it's all a matter of personal taste but please, please, please, deliver me from ever having to sit through such tosh again. And I nearly forgot to mention that they even have a saxophonist. She's a girl. Presumably the idea of this is that a large portion of the male part of the audience will be too busy perving over her to notice how crap the band is.

Personally I wasn't fooled but you can't blame them for trying. That said, it is only fair to point out that it's worth sitting through just about anyone - even The Zutons - if you get to see REM at the end of it. REM are one of the best live bands on the planet. On any planet, in fact. Erupting straight into "Bad Day", they actually succeed in stopping the rain. I'm certain it's not a coincidence. "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" follows, the highpoint of 1994's inconsistent Monster, and a track that sounds like it was built for the live arena. It's loud, and it's damn good.

"Orange Crush" is wonderful, because it just has to be, and when they launch into "Drive" (from their zillion-selling Automatic For The People masterpiece) the crowd look to have fully woken up and dried out, finally. Michael Stipe's vocals are, as ever, faultless. He is consistently note-perfect whenever REM play live, and furthermore manages to make it look so disgustingly easy you start to wonder if he is in fact human. Indeed as the gig rumbles on he becomes increasingly animated, whipping round the stage with the energy of someone significantly younger than he is (he turned 45 this year), yet he still doesn't hit a bum note.

He doesn't even have to try. None of them do - they're consummate musicians to a man.

Continued... next page

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