Washington

The band first performed in Washington back in 1992, and their most recent visit was just last year during a co-headline tour with Johnny Marr. The Washington date was particularly special as it marked the first night that Tim joined Johnny onstage for a performance of Iggy Pop’s ‘The Passenger’.

Last night, the band played at Lincoln Theatre – a beautifully restored venue known for its rich cultural heritage. Originally opened in 1922, it has served as a cornerstone for Black arts and entertainment, hosting legendary performers and continuing to be a vibrant hub for music, comedy, and community events today.

Alongside Laid tracks ‘One of the Three’ and ‘Knuckle Too Far’, the band gave a clear sign during VIP soundcheck that they’re feeling settled into the tour and ready to experiment. That spirit came through in a sublime and unexpected rendition of ‘Don’t Wait That Long’, enriched by Chloe’s haunting vocals and Adrian’s standout guitar work.

Having performed Laid in full and in order for the first two shows of the tour, the band decided to shake things up. They opened with their usual starter, ‘Out to Get You’, but quickly pivoted into the raucous energy of ‘Come Home’, instantly transporting the crowd to an entirely different album.

Rather than playing all the Laid tracks in the first set, the band sprinkled them across both, with seven in the opener. The non-Laid tracks in the first set included ‘Tomorrow’, which has been flying recently with Saul on his acoustic, and ‘Better With You’ from Yummy.

Set two opened with ‘Skindiving’ and included six tracks from Laid. While it was initially set to close with the album’s title track, the band thankfully had time to squeeze in one more – the quietly powerful and emotionally resonant ‘Top of the World’, a perfect fit for such a picturesque setting. Among the non-Laid songs, it was the tour debut of All the Colours of You track ‘Zero’ that proved the standout surprise of set two.