Globetrotting in support of their latest studio effort, An End Has a Start, Birmingham, England’s Editors showed no signs of wear or tear as they took the stage for a sold-out gig at Seattle’s Chop Suey venue last evening (Sept. 18). Hyped up by impressive performances courtesy of openers Ra Ra Riot and Biffy Clyro, the indie rock-centric, scenester crowd went ecstatic for Editors as they cut through an hour-long, fast-paced set. Opening with anthemic title track, “An End Has a Start,” curly-haired frontman Tom Smith jolted around the stage embodying the full-bodied, cinematic grandeur of his self-proclaimed idol, Michael Stipe. The rest of his bandmates matched his passionate live presence, especially on older tunes like “Blood” and classic-in-the-making “Munich.” New cuts such as “Bones” and “The Racing Rats” introduced Smith behind a piano, complimenting his deep and sullen croon, as the crashing riffs of “Fingers in the Factories” made for a blistering, sweat-drenched ending. While only two albums into their career, the ambitious foursome continue to fight off those pesky Interpol comparisons. Last night, they abolished ’em.
Prior to hitting the stage, bassist Russell Leetch sat down with SPIN.com to chat a bit about the touring the U.S., and some of his recent rock faves. “We always love coming over to the States,” Leetch said. “We played 15 weeks here for The Back Room, and if the fans want us to, we’ll do it again for this album.”
And what is Leetch queuing upon his iPod these days? “The new Mobius Band record is just phenomenal,” he added. “Also, I’ve really been in to the Shearwater’s Palo Santo. We’ve been touring with Ra Ra Riot for a while now, and they are incredible too!”
