Live Review: Interpol

The melancholic intro of Pioneer To The Falls echoed through the Concert Hall. The black-suited members of Interpol are shadowed by strong, eerie streaks of white light from a single mirror ball, the crowd in a quiet hypnosis.

With a setlist that highlighted old favourites over new releases, frontman Paul Banks and his band managed to craft a live show brimming with an ethereal strangeness – part disturbing, part divine – that successfully balanced any overwhelming nostalgia present.

It has been 17 years since the band released their debut album, Turn On The Bright Lights, and judging by the audience’s response to tracks like NYC and Say Hello To The Angels, they’ve had a strong following since that release. The exuberant Roland, played among a sea of flashing red and white lights, was one of the highlights of the night and a clear crowd favourite.

Scattered throughout the set were songs from last year’s release Marauder including If You Really Love Nothing, which saw Banks switch up his usual baritone growl for more airy vocals, and Complications, an eerie, upbeat waltzy number.

Visually, if you weren’t mesmerised already by the blinking and pulsating lights, guitarist Daniel Kessler made for some great viewing as he swayed and strutted while shredding onstage. Drummer Sam Fogarino also made his own impact, his methodical drumming easy to get lost in during the faster paced songs like C’mere.

The last time Interpol graced our shores was for a one-off performance at Splendour In The Grass in 2014. It was evident from the enthusiasm and sheer joy in the crowd at the Opera House that fans had been waiting a long time to see Interpol live and in a non-festival capacity. The excitement within the Concert Hall continued to bubble throughout the set, the audience getting louder and more boisterous with every song.

The tipping point of this enthusiasm was Slow Hands, the last song of the main set, and as the well-known guitar riff rang out through the venue, it managed to catapult each audience member out of their seats. This song, coupled with the band’s three-song encore of Not Even Jail, Evil and Obstacle 1, packed a punch that so many bands try and fail to achieve. While there was a lot of love in the room for Interpol’s new music, the audience were longtime fans and this nod to their first two albums was exactly what everyone was after. It took a long time to see Interpol in their element like this but it was damn well worth the wait.