My Top 10 Gigs of 2005: #3

#3 - Idlewild, Corner Hotel, May
Scottish rockers Idlewild headed back down under to the Corner to tour their fourth album Warnings/Promises. I'd just missed them when they were here in 2003, having just discovered their brilliant album The Remote Part. They may not get any airplay bar a song or two on Triple J, but they're massively popular in their home country, having been voted the second best Scottish band of all time earlier this year.

The Scots and other Brits were out in force for the gig, constantly jabbering to the band and each other in their barely comprehensible brague. As they started various chants throughout the set, it gave a great soccer crowd atmosphere that was quite electric.

The setlist spanned their whole catalogue both chronologically and musically. They had quieter moments such as El Capitan but generally rocked up most of the songs; they're not afraid to break out the distortion pedal, which was well used in Too Long Awake. I "cut sick" in the mosh pit from my spot in the third row, particularly for A Modern Way Of Letting Go and I Want A Warning.

Other great performances included You Held The World In Your Arms and Little Discourage just to title drop a few more. The only slight lowlight was a 10-minute version of The Space Between All Things where the lead singer went off stage to have a smoke. It kinda killed the mood a bit, but they resumed well. Also the Sydney and Brisbane gigs got Faker as support, but the Melbourne offering Blueline Medic were more than serviceable.

Normally if I buy a T-shirt, that's a good sign that the gig was great, so my purchase of a more expensive hoodie must say something about how awesome this one was! Bravo!