Bug-headed brilliance from the veteran I Monster duo is on offer during their Tramlines Festival appearance. The unlikely return of the duo comes after some massive TikTok appeal, with Daydream in Blue a suitable song to use for before and after interior design. But the song, along with the duo, is much more than that. For one generation they are TikTok stars using their platform for justice in Palestine. For the decade before, though, they were the oddities who gave Shaun of the Dead an immediate, biting edge. The edge is still there, even if The Blue Wrath is not. A packed out T’Other Stage are looking forward to their half hour with the Who Is She? phenomenons, and what a thirty minutes it is.
Not just a cool show but a shelter from the sun. Horrific its rays may be, evading the cruel weather is not the only reason to head to see I Monster. Despite their longevity, their cult status in the area and beyond, they have played few shows. We as listeners have no point of reference. To see those bug men wander the stage, throw flowers to the crowd and revel in some much deserved acclaim, is terrific. Not just because I Monster has earned it but because the duo is still working hard to elevate those studio classics. The rest of the band surrounding the suited-up duo are essential to this conservation of quality. Their efforts bring to life those softer spots in their discography, the deeper moments which goes beyond what the band is best known for.
Usually, UK-based festivals have the worst atmosphere around. The crowd care less for the music than they do their conversations about their problems at home, or their tooth decay as heard in T’Other Stage tent. The sound mix for festivals here is, too, a bit soft. But it is not a problem for I Monster because we have no basis of reference. They can do anything, go anywhere from here. The flowers to the audience, swirling them around, is a nice touch. Audience involvement is not in mind when those hits are brought out because the songs stand on their own merit, but it is nice to see a few nods to those who were camping out at the barrier. They are finding their footing on stage not because they haven’t worked there before, but it has been over twenty years since they did.
This tour for I Monster is a bigger deal than is let on. Audience members can hear out the hits like Daydream in Blue and Who Is She?, but within the set too are examples of their album work elsewhere. The band has remained steady in creating studio efforts, the likes of The Return of the Blue Wrath are solid bits of work, though it is not played through here. No need, either. A tight half hour to seemingly test the waters of what their series of Winter shows will bring. If it is anywhere near as strong as the set they performed at Tramlines, the crowds are in for a treat. I Monster’s return is seemingly a happy accident, but what a reason to be cheerful it is. A tight set indeed.
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