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Gig Review: Interpol at the Brighton Dome

Gig Review: Interpol at the Brighton Dome

It had been more than ten years since I had seen Interpol live. But this year I have had the opportunity to see them twice in the space of a month. The first was at All Points East where the band set out on their European tour, finishing up with a spot at Glastonbury.

So when the chance came up to see them again at the Brighton Dome I couldn’t resist.

Kicking off with ‘Pioneer to the Falls’ under the cover of darkness, the perfect song to open a set with, before launching into ‘C’mere’ when the stage burst into light, fragmented across the crowd from a disco ball overhead. There was little time to pause while the band rattled through their most popular songs, with a heavy emphasis on their early albums.

It was songs from Turn on the Bright Lights that got the crowd moving, clapping and singing along. Even the stage set up was very reminiscent of that time, with the band playing under tall lights and their name in thick red letters.

Marauder has been a return to form for Interpol and new songs such as ‘Complications’ and ‘The Rover’ hold up against those much-loved songs such as ‘Evil’ and ‘Rest my Chemistry.’ But it’s ‘Slow Hands’ that gets the crowd jumping frantically again.

Interpol came back to the stage for a three-song encore. Starting off with the melodic ‘Lights’ off their self titled fourth album. Then ‘Obstacle 1’ that took me right back to the days of watching MTV2 and a video that helped to put the band on the map. Without letting the momentum die they played their final song ‘Roland,’ leaving the crowd ecstatic and satisfied.

Words and photos by Tom Benjamin


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  1. Robert

    29 May

    I went to this concert in June in Brighton in 2019 and… went to the one last night at the same venue (no vaccine and never locked down by the way – fine). I think they are amazing, and the energy they have to tour so much is incredible. We are lucky to still be able to see them in such intimate venues.
    While the songs ‘Roland’ and ‘PDA’ are pitch perfect live i do wish they kept the slower opening pace of “The New” intact although they delivered on its sharp changing riffs in full. If i had to rate shows, one in Luxembourg they did rates pretty high for me around 2011 – there rendition of “Lights” there has not been topped for me. And the first time i saw them, booming out at Brixton Academy in early spring 2005 was epic. Not all shows will be equal whatever the band, and they are live performers par excellence. But i do wish they kept that slower pace as it was first there in the originals on some of them. Minor quibbles – we are truly blessed to have such talents to watch.

  2. Paul

    30 May

    Hi Robert, thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts and experiences of the band live!

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