The energy at Franklin Music Hall on Tuesday, June 20th was absolutely unparalleled. A packed Philly crowd flooded the hall for a lively show by Mannequin Pussy and Idles. Opening the night with an exciting set, Mannequin Pussy took the stage early in the evening; their performance filled by angst and rage overtook the crowd with such an intensity that fueled the room in a cacophony of incredible musical talent. During their more popular songs like “Perfect” and “Romantic,” the pit opened up, making way for eager fans to meld into a mad frenzy of movement. If every member of the crowd wasn’t absolutely sending it yet, the second Colin “Bear” Regisford took hold of the mic for “Pigs Is Pigs,” the entire room went nuts. With a message of infuriating Black indignation in a broken system of injustice, “Pigs Is Pigs” sent the mosh into destruction mode. After an incredible live performance, Mannequin Pussy left the stage for IDLES to begin.
The anticipation built in the room as the intro for “Colossus” fed into the excited tension. Crowd members stood on their toes in wait for the moment vocalist Joe Talbot split the room for furied collision. From that moment forward, their performance slipped into complete and utter mayhem. Everyone in the crowd was going nuts and yet still being very respectful for those around them in the pit as they slammed into one another. The energy only built upon this frantic beginning as the show continued. Guitarist, Lee Kiernan, thrashed around the stage and Mark Bowen put on a show modeling for the audience. Playing a good mix of releases spanning multiple albums, Idles kept their set moving from one song to the next. Pacing across the stage and leaning out towards the audience, Joe Talbot delivered throat-wrenching vocals. Overall, the performance was an angry and expressive fever-dream that swept up the room into a lively evening.
