I can't quite understand what it is, but it's a strange feeling that I experience as soon as I cross the threshold of the Carling Academy in Bristol. It's the first concert I'm about to attend on foreign soil, and not just any land, but that England from which much of what I listen to and have listened to originates, that England which, coincidentally, is also the homeland of the band I'm about to see: the Editors. In short, the first sensation is that of being in a somewhat strange place, if not foreign, but there's still an advantage: the Carling Academy is not a very large venue, one of those places where wherever you stand, you are close to the stage; a venue that provides the right intimacy to enjoy a concert.

The performance of the supporting act (Ra Ra Riot) is about to conclude as I enter with a friend and a beer, trying to find a spot as close to the stage as possible. And then, when the rush to arrive has passed and between you and the start of the show there is only half an hour, seven or eight rows of people, and a beer to enjoy in complete tranquility, that's when the strange feeling disappears, and I realize that I've been waiting for a concert like this ever since "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" (the first single from the successful second album "An End has a Start") entered my ears and felt so at home that it encouraged me to listen to the entire album, and to go back in time (two years, not much) to listen to "The Back Room," the group from Birmingham's debut work.

As I think of all this, the lights go out and the Editors come on. They start with the title track of the latest album "An End has a Start," a song with a fast pace, not slow at all, but it's here that I notice the different attitude of the English audience: still, motionless (for the Editors I certainly don't expect a mosh pit, but not standing still all evening either), occasionally clapping hands, but little else... except for one robust man in his thirties, who fidgets and jumps like a kid, to the grimaces of those around him; but the beauty is that he doesn't care and will continue to sing and hop all night long. The night continues with "Bones," another track from the second album, which in some ways has similarities with the previously played piece. Tom Smith's voice is particularly warm and clear, the perfect fit for a flawless setting: there's no doubt about it, the Editors are in great shape, and they seem to gain energy as they remain on stage.

The concert goes on, going back in time to "The Back Room" with songs like "Lights" and the big hit "Munich," reaching the peak of emotion and engagement during the performance of the new single "The Racing Rats." Tom Smith lies down on the piano while singing, and when his voice gives way to the guitar riff, he climbs onto the piano, accompanying that riff which seems to enter to say with music what words can no longer add. Obviously, "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" is also received greatly, and there's nothing left to do but close your eyes, following the chorus that declares "We've all been changed from what we were, our broken parts left smashed off the floor."

The conclusion is entrusted to "Fingers in the Factory," at the end of which the lights come back on and not far from us the door opens: just ten minutes and the damp English cold will reclaim our bones. And as you leave, you think that you have seen what you've wanted to see for a while, and it was better than you expected. The voices of those who said "Yes, but the Editors sound too much like Interpol, and his voice is just like Michael Stipe's in certain parts, and like Ian Curtis in others" return to mind; and you think that everyone will see what they want, but the Editors, at least in my opinion, have their own personality, maybe they have influences (but who doesn't?) and seeing them live has strengthened the beliefs I already had.

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