Bristol, UK · post-punk · punk

IDLES

1 upcoming festival

Bristol post-punk built on solidarity and volume — a live show closer to a group therapy riot, all sweat, hugs, and howled affirmations.

IDLES formed in Bristol in 2009 and released their debut album, Brutalism, in 2017, followed by Joy as an Act of Resistance the next year. The band is fronted by Joe Talbot, whose delivery sits between speech and shout, over guitar work that favours repetition, feedback and abrupt dynamic shifts.

Their lyrics deal with grief, masculinity, immigration and class, often bluntly and sometimes with dark humour, and the group has been vocal about mental health and community. Subsequent albums, including Ultra Mono, Crawler and Tangk, have widened the palette toward electronics and slower, more textural material. Their live shows are known for physicality and audience interaction.

post-punkpunk