GIG NUMBER EIGHTY-TWO
Who
Although I didn't get in until well after the doors had opened, there was still a wait before the bands took to the stage. The vibe was very much this being a little pub/club that happened to have music on, and being by myself I felt bored. For 2006 my thought was to only go to the best gigs or ones where I could trust others to come along, but Gorky's are naturally a band where trying to persuade any ignorant parties is a non-starter. The music being played beforehand seemed completely nondescript and fairly quiet, and I can't confirm a single song that the DJ chose, so I passed the time with four pints of Guinness and by txting everyone. The most exciting event was that Euros was mingling in the crowd wearing a rather nifty Ffa Coffi Pawb t-shirt, looking absurdly thin and young with rock star shaggy hair very much in evidence. I left him alone as I had nothing to say that wasn't stupid, and my only case of interaction was nearly physically bumping into him in the toilets - whoops!
Alun Tan Lan was one guy with his guitar who opened the show. He played some fairly nice tuneage most distinguishable by being entirely Welsh language, although all his introductions and occasional explanations were fortunately for me in English. It was fairly entertaining and I had myself a reasonable view but was slightly too drunk to take in much detail. Euros pushed his way through the crowd to check his equipment before starting his show. He had three guys backing him and played lots of as-yet unreleased songs I either didn't know or couldn't put a name to. The two Gorky's songs I knew were Billy And The Sugarloaf Mountain, which was exciting and went down well with all despite being a b-side to a small-selling single, and Pentref Wrth Y Mor, which was the closest thing the show ever got to a hit. I had no idea then that Henry And Matilda would be on the second album, but this was a definite highlight. Euros explained the Welsh lyrics as it being about a guy and his wife who go to the supermarket. He goes off to buy a shirt and she goes to buy a leg of lamb. Henry then returns to find Matilda dead in a pool of vomit, and then receives a phone call saying that his brothers in law have been killed by a whale in Iceland!! This was clearly mad but very exciting a lyric!
I'm also particularly pleased to report that the crowd were positive and enthusiastic throughout, countering my previous experience of Birmingham gig-goers being boring and unappreciative. Also memorable was Y Mwnci Drwg, featuring Euros making funny animal noises, and a possible Gorky's b-side, plus quite a few tracks from his solo album mixed with unknown numbers and a random reference to "shoving leeks up our arses". The sound quality was good and the main annoyance was the tall people in front of me restricting my view. At around half past ten I faced the difficult dilemma I'd been pondering since the start of the evening: should I get the last train home, or stay until the end of the show and hope I'd find a way back somehow.
I'd been praying the set would finish early, which it didn't, and as a few Gorky's songs had been played and I was enjoying myself I decided to stick it out until the end and hope for the best. I was therefore very frustrated that no further memorable tunes were played, and Euros even dismissed a heckle to play Poodle Rockin' so he could perform an encore of a random unknown cover version. I was quite annoyed by this, and it definitely wasn't worth missing the train for. I wish musicians would show more respect for people by playing more of their hits! Thanks to awful public transport (no direct train home after 9:30pm!) I only managed to get to Wolverhampton before forking out a shocking £17 to get the rest of the way home by taxi. This was maybe worth it to see that taxis actually do have signs saying "red light indicates doors are secured" a la Artic Monkeys, meaning I am no longer at risk of falling out after not closing the doors! Although it would have been nice if a few more Gorky's Zygotic Mynci tunes were thrown in, this was an enjoyable show and a sign that Euros may yet produce brilliant material for many years to come. And since Gorky's have now called it a day I'm rather counting on him and Richard James doing just that!
Mark: 7.5/10
Euros Childs
Support
Alun Tan Lan
Where
Birmingham Bar Academy
When
4th March 2006
Price
£6.00
Who with
No-one
Position
Towards the front
Comments
My first show of 2006 was a particularly satisfactory affair. I'd been a big fan of Gorky's since 1998 and had purchased Euros Childs debut solo album within a short time of it coming out. Although Gorky's seemed to have abandoned the excitement and randomness that made their early albums so memorable on the disappointing Sleep/Holiday, the solo album was, although lacking some depth and development to the songs, a step in a positive direction. It was a particularly cold day and my first gig back in the Midlands, meaning I was relying on the trains. However this gave me a chance to hear the album both on the way there and back. I found that Bar Academy was next to Birmingham Academy but wasn't in the same area as the excellent gig by The Supernaturals in 2001. It was upstairs in a very nice room with a bar et al, being a far more suitable venue than the Academy 2 and its little stage in the corner. I had a little confusion on the door due to having a weird Wolverhampton-bought ticket, but fortunately got in without too much fuss.
