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By Alex Hegazy, Wednesday 26th July 2006 12.57pm (2517 views)
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The Gossip @ KCLSU, London
Date: 17th July 2006
Support: Comanechi, Jai-Alai Savant
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First up are pretty-looking but hard art rockers Comanechi. Being a duo they have a singing drummer called Akiko accompanied by guitarist Simon and they bring forth the spirit of Royal Trux . Next onstage are Philly bred three piece Jai-Alai Savant with songs that are a satisfying mix of indie, punk and dub. The bassist and drummer from this band turn out to be more session musician than band musician. Therefore the main attraction here lies with singer Ralph Darden, his quirky personality, his vocal effects pedal and faux English & German impressions. They do well as a warm up band.
Headlining tonight is The Gossip and they are really something. For a start, there’s no setlist for this performance as, according to singer Beth Ditto, they kept arguing about what order to play the songs in. The Gossip are punkesque Hannah on drums, Beth on vocals looking all sophisticated & arty like a cabaret host and Brace on guitar/bass with his moustache, looking like a Scissor Sister refugee. Oh the moustache, “how long did it take to grow?” an audience member shouts out. In response Beth explains it “took 15 years to grow”. Cheeky. And that’s not all. Beth is full of funny anecdotes, explaining that having her “kidney stones out was like giving birth” and there are plenty of amusing remarks to go round. At one stage it sounds like Beth might have peed herself live and uncut.
So they’ve got the charismatic front woman, resonating giggles with the rest of the band crammed full of personality. What are their songs like? Some say they are a hybrid of punk/R&B. And that’s a fair description as they play their stripped down cover of Aaliyah’s “Are You Somebody”. But their influences are more subtle than that. There is clearly a strong influence in the vocals from Kathleen Hanna but Beth embodies some of the attitude of Missy Elliot.
Their set mostly contains songs from their latest album ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’. And it’s the title track that the audience get most excited about when a mosh pit emerges from a previously well behaved crowd, with Akiko Comanechi joining Beth on vocals. Other songs they play from that album are dedicated to “faggots” on the soulfully spirited ‘Yr Mangled Heart’, chubby people and their admirers on the powerful ‘Fire With Fire’ and there is the cow bell funk of ‘Listen Up’, the latest single. With a sprinkling of old songs like ‘Swing Low’ “for all the dykes”, the band make sure they appeal to their hardcore following as well. The Gossip do the whole package live and on CD achingly well and they are have just started to get the credit they deserve.
For more information you can visit: http://www.gossipyouth.net/
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