The Editors vs. Franz Ferdinand

The Editors and Franz Ferdinand both performed sell out gigs at Newcastle’s O2 Academy on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

With a more club-like atmosphere, The Academy proved the perfect setting for a more intimate concert. Fans were not squashed together and were able to get a closer look rather than just a faint glimpse of the singers on a screen like other venues. With bars on every corner it was ideal for the over 18’s in attendance.

Both concerts provided very different moods, The Editor’s focused on music and Franz Ferdinand were a lot more focused on entertainment.

The Editor’s musical style is a lot darker than that of Franz Ferdinand, lead singer, Tom Smith has said: “The words in the songs are centred on my worries and feelings on the bigger things in life, be it love or things coming to an end”. Tom Smith is the best singer I have personally ever seen, there is no contrast to the recorded version of his songs what so ever, he has a genuinely good and unusual voice. The Editor’s seem to show a lot more of their ‘normal’ selves when performing, to the point of being ‘weird’ in comparison to Franz Ferdinand who are more about entertainment.

Franz Ferdinand on the other hand are a lot less ‘deep’ in the creation of their songs and this shows by the effort put into their performance. In their own words they are “a bit friendlier for the dance floor”. The band are all round entertainers, audience participation was a big part of the gig, with lead singer Alex holding out the mic on regular occasions, clapping to the beat and lights to flash out into the audience rather than just on stage. Again, the talent of the band was outstanding, sounding very much like the recorded versions of their songs and adding extra live bonuses such as musical collaborations using all types of instrument. There was a fantastic drumming solo from, Paul Thomson, which ended with all four members of the band playing the drums at once - a unique aspect to the show.

The stage at The Academy was very basic and so both bands opted for low key light formations on the screen behind them. Franz Ferdinand however extended upon this; images were used within the lights to tell the story of the songs, including flashing images of the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson and more psychedelic flashes. Whereas, The Editors artistically linked music and light together, matching the two to make a pair. The lights matched the tone of the music, most effectively with new single, Papillon, a much more ‘electric’ record.
Both gigs were well worth the trip and were very different nights out. If you like a good dance, get yourself to see Franz Ferdinand, if you like music and genuine talent, The Editors are for you.

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