Idles @ Gorilla, Manchester, 18 Apr

In unseasonal heat Gorilla is tense with expectation for Idles’ return which was, it's worth noting, sold out several months ago. And from opener Heel / Heal, the band’s presence and sonic identity come over clear, direct and arresting. Though often unornamented, the lean and powerful rhythm section also know how to dazzle on Date Night and Faith in the City; dual guitars create textures that are abrasive and harsh, but somehow also seem to glisten, sounding like nobody else.

These dynamics are most effective when winding up and exploding into the searing sections of Mother, Benzocaine and 1049 Gotho on which frontman Joe Talbot perfectly captures the relentless grip of depression in the desperate snarl, 'There’s no right side of the bed / With a body like mine and a mind like mine.'

And herein lies Idles’ greatest strength. Though they often seem to not take themselves too seriously (guitarist Mark Bowen unselfconsciously peacocking around the stage, shirtless, kilted, leaping into the crowd throughout), the savage sarcasm of many of Talbot’s lyrics – such as speculating about how much Mary Berry likes reggae on Well Done – belies the fact that they square up to modern life’s most serious subject matter with a raw sincerity.

Whether addressing mental health issues on new song Samaritans or the aggression of provincial boredom on Exeter, Talbot pulls no punches in expressing the gravity of what he’s singing about. In a shameful week when members of Britain’s Windrush generation are denied employment and healthcare, and threatened with deportation as a direct result of rightwing hostility, systematic racism and incompetence, Talbot’s impassioned celebration of British diversity and the value of immigration is met with a rapturous response.

To see an audience so uncontainable in hearing a band exorcising all our demons, it’s clear Idles resonate deeply with people, in a way that few bands ever do.