Interpol - Birmingham Academy 20/08/2007

There is such a thing as festival fatigue.

And no matter how much you're looking forward to a gig, two days of standing in a field takes its toll.

So here we are. Waiting for Interpol to take the stage. Legs aching under the strain of yet more standing. Eyes stinging from exhaustion. The brain questioning why you're putting your body through this, when you should be catching some shut eye. And the waiting doesn't help. The atmosphere is tense as the crowd's patience fades. The heat rises. Sweat begins running down your back. Interpol better be worth it.


And they are. From the moment they take the stage and 'Pioneer To The Falls' streams through the speakers, they're focused. You could argue a little too focused. There's little to no interaction. The occasional "thanks" breaks the silence between songs but other than that, Interpol let the music do the talking. It speaks in mournful tones. Dark and intense, there are few light moments. Not even from the venue's lighting, which coats the band in shadows. Music matched by mood. Paul Banks' draws his vocals from the depths of his gut. Both rich and grand in sound, he brings drama to the darkness. Grounds the band from centre stage while around him, his bandmates draw oceans of intensity from their instruments. Riffs cut and chop from Daniel Kessler. Carlos meanwhile stalks back and forth to his left, marking his territory, his bass throbbing with terse, tense bass lines.

'Evil' and 'Slow Hands' may get the loudest reactions but the new songs slot comfortably in amongst crowd favourites. Some may say a little too comfortably as the bands musical progression isn't the greatest. Variety of style isn't their forte. Neither does it need to be. For Interpol have mastered their muse and spend their time and energy honing their craft. 'The Heinrich Maneuver' powers its way out of the speakers. 'Not Even Jail' is breathtaking. Fusing itself to 'PDA' via a drawn out bass drum solo. Sam Fogarino playfully teasing the crowd as they clap along. Then they're gone.


Seemingly never to return. The crowds begs for more. Waits for their return. And waits. And waits. An eternity seems to pass. Legs remind you they ache. Eyelids weigh heavy. Finally they return and for a instant, there's a flicker of humanity. Seeming genuinely pleased and astonished by the crowds reaction, they treat them to an encore that manages to top what came previously. Were they worth it? Damn right they were.

Interpol - narc (live at Reading Festival 2007)

Interpol - slow hands (live at Reading Festival 2007)

Interpol - evil (live at Reading Festival 2007)

Interpol - the heinrich maneuver (live at Reading Festival 2007)

Interpol - pda (live at Reading Festival 2007)

mp3 / music / live review / interpol