Sunday 7 January 2024

The Archive Index

"Don't forget where your vibe comes from..."

Weclome to the Lemming Archive.

What you'll find here is everything that I have ferociously, and often indiscriminately collected by the UK band Editors since I first became a fan in 2006. There's no officially released material here as it's not my intention to take money out of anybody's pocket. What it does contain are live shows, interviews, television appearances and some other memorabilia that isn't quite as easy to categorise (Editors condom tin, anyone?). The whole idea in setting this blog up was to assemble everything in one place so that other Editors fans would be able to delve into the band's history, as well as catching up with their current activities. The links below will help you do that.

Whether you've been an Editors fan for a while or you've only just discovered them, I'm really glad you're here. Have a look around and take whatever you want, support the band and most importantly of all enjoy the music ;)

The Lemming Archive - Table of Contents
For hidden extras, scroll down to "Covert Shares"

Editors in 2003 (as Snowfield)

 
 

 
 

 

The Lemming Archive (main blog)
 

The Archive on Twitter (for updates and news)
 

The Archive on YouTube (for all hosted videos)

 

Editors' online message board

 

The Lemming Archive's email address
 

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x

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Sunday 31 December 2023

Warm Up Festival 4th May 2024 (Radio 3 Broadcast)

 

 
Disgruntled musings incoming...

It's approaching midnight as I write this. Even though I knew exactly how this evening was going to go, having recorded from Radio 3 before during my 18-year tenure as an Editors devotee, at times it still offered all the appeal of a wasp sting in my throat (ho ho). The build while you wait for the main event is always a little tortuous. 
 
Tonight, my poor ears are angry with me for subjecting them to some sounds that they really weren't that keen on hear prior to Editors. I never realised just how crappy live vocals fed through autotune are. It creates a machine-powered barrier between you and the crowd, removing the human qualities by levelling and flattening out every tone. You might not be note-perfect live, but if you're passionate about delivering your music the audience will not care. Embrace your bum-notes! Still, I did manage make it through the noise to capture the band we're all here to experience, so ultimately it was worth it. But...
 
The airtime given to the festival ran out at midnight, and while Editors were bringing it all home, and so Munich is abruptly cut off and I suspect they finished on Papillon which is also missing.  

With that, the complaints department here at The Archive is now closed. Temporarily.

What we have on offer here is a professionally recorded set by Editors at the sold-out Warm Up festival in Spain, 4th May 2024. To my knowledge, it's still a 5-piece version of Editors playing because Ben continues to be absent, which is becoming a little odd. There's been no official acknowledgement of his departure from the group, but no explanation as to where he's at if he's still an Editor. He's just not around. This isn't about a desire to initiate gossip or dig for scandal, just concern that everything is alright. I hope that it is.

If the Djs covering this broadcast were a song, it would be You Talk Way Too Much by The Strokes. Given that, I do understand the need to prevent illicit recording, and in reality bootleggers are notoriously distasteful people. They should absolutely be discouraged from their inappropriate and evil pursuits. Because of this, you'll notice that ALL of the intros are ruined. If you find your inner zen, accept it, and move forward smiling you'll be fine (keep repeating). Did I claim the complaints department was closed? Sorry!
 
Having learned what was on the set for the club shows they played earlier this week as a warm up for...Warm Up, I'd hoped they'd keep some of them around for the festivals. They did. How great is it to hear ERM=BD again? And did you ever think you'd cheerily accept an offer of Formaldehyde?

Oh, and Heart Attack is amazing here, especially those super-creepy backing vocals. Never has a song, which may or may not be about and unhealthy obsessive love gone too far, made me feel more like dancing wildly. Don't worry, my hips are fully under control so the recording process is not in peril.
 
With that thought in mind...enjoy the music ;)


The Setlist
Strawberry Lemonade
An End Has a Start
A Ton of Love
Karma Climb  
Picturesque
Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
Racing Rats
Formaldehyde
Bones
Heart Attack
Killer
Smokers (semi-acoustic, extended outro)
Ocean of Night
Munich (partial, fades out to news)

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x
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Open Air Festival 11th August 2023 (Hannah's Recording)

 


First, here's a quick bit of history for you. 

This set of Editors playing Open Air Festival in August of 2023 streamed live as a video but, as sometimes happens, there wasn't enough notice to successfully prepare a bootlegging attack strategy. Additionally, the broadcast was geoblocked and both Hannah and I learned about it too late to get properly set up. I regularly use a VPN, which means it shouldn't have presented a problem. Alas, plans were not made far enough ahead of time and so as the show started and then continued, it was obvious that the frantic scrambling was to be in vain. This would be another one of those shows that got away from us. I can't speak for Hannah, but from my perspective as someone who "quite likes" Editors, that kind of realisation burns for a very long time. But wait! This story may just conclude in a pleasantly satisfactory way for everyone involved, especially you, if you allow it to unfold just a little more.  

During a digital folder clear-up recently, Hannah discovered this audio capture that resulted from the failed attempt at grabbing the video as it aired.  I suspect that she briefly re-experienced the same uneasy mix of frustration and despair that we both had when it first aired in real time. I know I did upon receiving it. Thankfully, that would soon be replaced by elation and excitement to get it out there for people to hear, which is what this post is all about. Thanks again H for passing this along. A show that DIDN'T get away ;)

In the absence of the video, this professionally mixed recording should provide ample inspiration for you to create your own mental images of what this gig looked like at the time. As an  example, even though you can't see it you can be assured that Tom threw his mic down during the end of Picturesuqe. And if you stick around right until the end after Papillon you'll hear a random "Strange" in amongst all that beautiful feedback. What you'll also notice above all those electronic flourishes across the music is just how much work Mr Williams is doing, be it the guitars or keys, but especially the backing vocal support for Tom. Aided by ridiculous youthfulness and fuelled by tasty ramen, with superfly beats way down deep in his soul, Elliott's energy is apparently boundless.     

If you're heading out to see the band over the next couple of months, this should warm up your dancing shoes to the required level. Enjoy the music ;) 

Full show audio - stream it here

MP3s
Strange Intimacy - download here
An End Has a Start - download here
Strawberry Lemonade - download here
The Racing Rats - download here
Karma Climb - download here
Munich - download here
Hallelujah (So Low) - download here
Ocean of Night - download here
Picturesque - download here
Killer - download here
Papillon - download here

All in a Zip - download here

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love  ;) x 
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Editors Instagram - March 2024

 


March had the band continuing their mini-campaign across the UK and Europe, with most of the dates selling out. There are recordings available at the Archive from two of those stops, one from Antwerp and the other from Bath. On the subject of playing live, I had the most vivid dream about Editors last night. I was floating above a crowd (fully clothed, mercifully, it wasn't one of those dreams) at a show in Luxembourg, not sure when but it may have been this year.  The set list was very straightforward, containing all your favourite yet sad crowd-pleasing tracks. Things felt familiar. That was until they decided, out of the blue, to pull an absolute left-field move and play Crawl Down the Wall. How rare would that have been had it actually happened? Well, a search of this here blog will show that I don't have a single recorded copy of it being played live. 

Luckily, in my continuing slumber state I realised that as well as levitation skills, I had a taping device strapped to my left leg but I couldn't reach it to press "play". Also, most of my teeth suddenly fell out, although I'm still not sure what that meant. Anyway, after floating for a few more minutes whilst  struggling to reach the button of activation, I realised that it was too late and the song was over. It was then that I woke up frosted with a soul-deep chill of fear and panic, convinced I'd missed it but then reassured myself that it was all just a dream. There's no possible way in hell they would do that in real life. Nope, not at all, and it would be foolish to even consider that scenario. The mind sure is a strange machine, isn't it?  
 
In the midst of all this activity they announced a show at the Brixton Academy which will take place in May, and they did it with an assured amount of finesse. Rahi reappeared again with another one of his teaser trailers, and it didn't disappoint. I'll say it again, because it's still true, just imagine what Mr Rezvani could have done with their early singles. What if he'd been in charge of the ITLAOTE image-making? His artistic darkness meeting their own at that time would surely have made for some very interesting outcomes. How would he have approached Papillon? Remember that Arni & Kinski's  video for You Don't Know Love involved elements of dance, so it was clearly something they were open to even then. Move forward a few years and the clip for Cold by Rahi that was shot in Iceland also has a dancer. What would he have created with YDKL as the soundtrack? This is what happens when you  have time and an overactive imagination. 
 
April will be a month of no touring but will probably entail more rehearsing in preparation for the May dates. Who knows what else they're up to during this "down time"...
 
Honourable mention going out to Blanck Mass. I hope you're OK out there. 

Editors Instagram - March 2024

For all of Editors' previous Instagram posts, go here.
 
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x
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Rahi's Teaser Trailer for Brixton Academy 2nd May 2024

 

 
More delicious psychological manipulation from the man who has been in charge of Editors' image for almost the last decade or so. If you wanted to distill the excitement and passion of an Editors show into a very short clip, while simultaneously making the band look super cool, you would go talk to Rahi. We knew he'd been present during their recent mini-tour, and it looks like he was working. 
 
If you're going to buy tickets for the May gig at Brixton Academy, this is the kind of thing you're in for. Enjoy the hype ;)
 
 
brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x
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The Forum - Bath 1st March 2024 (Petrock2000 recording)

 

 
Here's an amazing documentation of an Editors gig from previous Archive contributor, Petrock2000, who's very kindly given me permission to share this new recording here. Many thanks to you for this, it's appreciated ;)

There are two versions of the set available, both from different sources including the in-ear monitors. It means you get the best possible representations of the music and are able to really appreciate the nuances.

The sold-out gig at the Bath Forum was the first show in March of 2024, and stop number four on their mini-tour of the UK and Europe. For whatever reason, Ben was not a participant in this part of the EBM campaign cycle and as I've said before, I hope he's OK (and still an Editor, obviously).

It's true that different tracks will resonate with us for different reasons, depending on what we bring to them when we listen. I confess that I've always had a soft spot for At All Cost, primarily because of the theme of interpersonal tension between those closest to us. That and the way Tom sounds so weary when he delivers the lyrics "I've got nothing to say to my oldest friends". It's a sentiment acting as a weird echo to some earlier words from the song This House is Full of Noise, released during the ITLAOTE era; "Don't let your friends know you can't pay your debts". It's almost like there's been a progression, or a gradual deterioration across the years from paranoid secrecy to paralysed indifference.

Aside from the solo version Tom played as part of the Slow Motion Soundtrack, I never expected to hear it in this kind of a setting but I'm glad I did, and especially given the quality of the recording. Even in a room full of people it still feels like an exhausted, quiet confession.

Enjoy the music ;) 
 
Version 1

01 - Two Hearted Spider - download here
02 - Sugar - download here
03 - Karma Climb - download here
04 - A Ton of Love - download here
05 - Bullets - download here
06 - Heart Attack - download here
07 - Blood - download here
08 - Strawberry Lemonade - download here
09 - Picturesque - download here
10 - Killer (Adamski cover) - download here
11 - No Harm - download here
12 - Lights - download here
13 - Bones - download here
14 - Munich - download here
15 - Strange Intimacy - download here
16 - Papillon - download here
17 - An End Has a Start - download here
18 - The Racing Rats - download here
19 - Nothing (full band version) - download here
20 - At All Cost (first half without Ed Lay) - download here
21 - The Phone Book - download here
22 - Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors - download here
 
Version 2

01 - Two Hearted Spider - download here
02 - Sugar - download here
03 - Karma Climb - download here
04 - A Ton of Love - download here
05 - Bullets - download here
06 - Heart Attack - download here
07 - Blood - download here
08 - Strawberry Lemonade - download here
09 - Picturesque - download here
10 - Killer (Adamski cover) - download here
11 - No Harm - download here
12 - Lights - download here
13 - Bones - download here
14 - Munich - download here
15 - Strange Intimacy - download here
16 - Papillon - download here
17 - An End Has a Start - download here
18 - The Racing Rats - download here
19 - Nothing (full band version) - download here
20 - At All Cost (first half without Ed Lay) - download here
21 - The Phone Book - download here
22 - Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors - download here 

All in a Zip - download here 

All other files (taper info, photos and checksum)

brought to you with lots of lemming-love ;) x
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Justin and Felicity Hall on the Mental Health Podcast 6th March 2024

 


I'm sharing this to increase its reach, in the hope that it starts a conversation somewhere.

A lot of the bands I love, and probably that you do too, have had personnel undergoing some serious mental health problems at one time or another. It's often a fact that the parts of your favourite artiste's personality which produce transcendent moments of artistic joy for both you and them (you hope), can occasionally be accompanied by those which have the capacity for causing immeasurable personal damage. Often, you just can't have one without the other. The popular idyllic myth, and it's something I confess that I bought into for years, is that all touring bands are the absolute best of friends who are having the time of their lives while travelling the world playing music. If you're of a similar mindset, this podcast will help to dispel that myth. 

On the 6th March 2024, and in mid-tour, Justin appeared on the Mental Health Podcast NL along with Editors' tour manager and professional life-arranging ninja, Felicty Hall. If you know your Editors history, then you'll be aware that Justin has always been candid about his struggles with touring, but this extended chat really gets into the finer details of what it's like. It's a fascinating podcast, because not only do we get to better understand the realities of what a professional musician is expected to contend with day to day, we learn exactly what a tour manager does (I had no idea it was this involved!). The degree of honesty here results in an extremely illuminating conversation. It's like hearing the answers to a series of question you may have had, but felt would be tactless to raise. Well done to everyone involved, and thank you for the insight.

Enjoy the education ;)


brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love ;) x 
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