Editor's Note: There are many ways to describe the music of IDLES: Relentless. Affirming. Unifying. The British hardcore punk band's 2018 record Joy as an Act of Resistance will go down as one of the defining albums of the modern era, a blissful fit of aggression and outrage aimed towards pulling us together as a community and spitting in the face of the hatred and fascism slowly tearing the world apart. Wednesday night (October 16), IDLES brought their message of love and unity to Royale, packaged tightly in a raucous and overly insane live show that had the entire Theatre District club whipped into a frenzy. Vanyaland's John Hutchings was in the most dangerous place of all -- the venue's photo pit -- capturing scenes from IDLES' wild-as-promised live show as the band's bodies flew overhead and the crowd-surfers spilled down and over the barriers. Scan through his full gallery, including a few of openers Preoccupations, below, and we suggest you listen to IDLES, understanding their message and mantra, as you flip through.
