GIG NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY
Who
Once I recovered from this I was immediately hit with a stomach upset but I don't let anything interfere with my plans so made my way up to Leeds. The train to Manchester was fine but the Leeds train was delayed by half an hour as the driver hadn't turned up, and it was a great relief to check into the hotel which was wonderfully close to the train station. I find it intriguing that I never considered travelling to Leeds when I lived in Manchester for over four years but that just goes to show how my enthusiasm for travel has grown out of nowhere over the last few years. However I did rush straight from Leeds to Bradford, not letting any illness, freezing cold weather or lateness of the trains slow me down. Bradford Cathedral was small but perfectly nice and was the only attraction I saw before the sun went down but the National Media Museum was the real crowd pleaser and the Town Hall was very pretty too. Bradford is not as bad as some people make out and I wish I'd been there in a better state, but it's still pretty clear that Manchester is the curry capital of Britain, and I was shocked and offended that Bradford has the audacity to also claim that crown! I had wanted to experience some drinking in Leeds but spent the night trying to stay warm as I'd booked into perhaps the coldest hotel in Europe. The next day though I was determined to experience everything that Leeds has to offer, and after the standard Wetherspoons breakfast I went to the cathedral, art gallery, museum, walked along the canal and visited the Royal Armouries museum too. It was a nice day and the Town Hall was definitely the most impressive building that the city had to offer, warranting a return visit once the sun had gone down, but it was so damned cold I needed to wear a hat which is very unusual for me and I started to feel worse as the day wore on. The low point was an ill advised Indian meal where I ordered a mixed platter then was shocked to discover I couldn't bear to eat it and the waiter compounded the agony by bringing me a pissing Carlsberg I'd never asked for then charging me for not only the poppadoms but also a few quid for the dips which came with them!
I just wasn't in a fit state to complain so I was relieved to get out of there and to return to my hotel, where I recovered my energy a bit then decided to leave my phone, camera and everything of value before proceeding on the long, cold walk to the university, which I'd scoped out briefly earlier in the day. Thanks to the maps around the campus I found the venue without too much difficulty. Doors had opened at 7pm and I arrived around 30 minutes after this and already it was getting reasonably full. There was a huge queue down the stairs for the cloak room but I was just relieved to see that it wasn't the queue for the toilets! I had found it hugely annoying to need to take a massive coat but it was just too damned cold to go without, plus I just don't like using cloakrooms so I barely considered the idea of checking it in. The venue was a long and thin room, including a huge space behind the mixing desk where you basically couldn't see the stage which seemed to be a bit of a waste of space, making me wonder how much they'd cram you in for sell-out shows. I'm unsure if Gogol Bordello had sold the place out, but I suspect some lightweights will have pulled out thanks to the weather! The first support was a guy called Alain Johannes but I missed practically all of his set as I was dashing to and from the toilet and also checking out the merchandise. The second act were The Skints who were more interesting, being a white reggae/punk/hip hop band. A couple of guys did all the speaking whereas a girl was centre-stage and didn't speak to us once. I took my place in the crowd and didn't leave again but, as is so often the case, the band were greeted too warmly and they had a bloody nerve to proclaim their final song then do another one after that! Now followed the wait for Gogol Bordello and some pretty decent tunes were played over the speakers. The wait became quite frustrating as the lights went down and in fact a couple of the band were onstage but they kept us waiting until around 9:10pm. The Gypsy Punks banner was as usual displayed proudly behind the band and they came onstage in a rather rambling fashion to launch into a disjointed rendition of Tribal Connection, which went fast, slow and veered off unexpectedly before getting back on tune.
It was an annoying start as Ultimate is the only way to kick off a Gogol Bordello show and the band should stick with it until they write something that works better! The crowd annoyingly tried to go mental to it when they really should have saved their energy for a more opportune moment. The next song for instance. Yes, it was Not A Crime which got things moving, and I struggled for the energy to mosh, but this classic tune was undermined by some stupid cunts who spilled cider firstly on my t-shirt and then on my coat which was tied round my waist. I was looking at the same moron beforehand, thinking how dumb he was to have gone into a moshpit with a full pint, as if you're at a decent show the last thing you want is your hands full. It also isn't surprising that it's always cider that gets poured over me. The simple reason is that only fuckwits pour drinks over you and those same fuckwits are the kind of people who drink cider, a cheap unpleasant drink which you'd as soon throw away as want to drink! Wonderlust King was next up and it remains a classic, but the crowd continued to get on my nerves as everyone moshed to the wrong bits, and I was left worried about my glasses which I simply couldn't afford to break, plus that would make it rather difficult to get back to my hotel! Gradually I edged backwards but closer to the centre and away from the balconies which were quiet and non-obtrusive (unlike in Birmingham) but the entire place was one big moshpit which couldn't be escaped from. I just wished I didn't have that lugging great coat tied round my waist and that I felt a bit better, but this was the illest I'd ever been at a gig and it was perhaps was the coldest day in the history of the world too! In the circumstances I think I did alright. Anyway, speaking about the other fans, there was a father and son in the moshpit who quickly left, which just goes to show how naive some people can be about the nature of moshpits! There was also a girl with a full-on Mohican and tattoos but frankly she looked silly. I love Gogol Bordello for their music but don't feel a connection with many of their fans, tribal or otherwise! However, despite quite a few twats being in the building, the band do appeal to a reasonably broad range, proving that good music crosses all boundaries. The most impressively dressed were the girls wearing false moustaches, being both a clever tribute to Eugene and to the impending end of Movember, a moustache-growing competition which has come out of nowhere (Australia!) to almost take over the world!
I thought Gogol Bordello then played a few "oldies" in the vein of Through The Roof 'N' Underground, which had been such an unexpected delight last time. Or that they'd squeezed a few brand new songs in. However, the setlist I've obtained claims that the band mainly played cuts from the Trans-Continental Hustle album, making me wish I'd tried harder to get into it beforehand! Strangely though they still didn't play Rebellious Love, which bar Pala Tute is probably the catchiest tune on the album. Some of the crowd clearly weren't too impressed by all the songs they barely knew but the album's title track was rather good, a fact which also reminds me that the band had a wooden ship's wheel taking pride of place centre-stage with "T C Hustle" written on it. In other news, Eugene was wearing a Rio t-shirt and it's fair to say he helped inspire me to book that trip to South America, whereas the bassist was wearing a rather cool Adidas/cannabis leaf logo which I doubt is officially licensed merchandise! Also there definitely was just the one cheerleader, making me wonder if the other one has left the band for good, although there is absolutely nothing online which tells me either way! Anyway, I have my fingers crossed that the band will get round to kicking out the annoying rap guy, as he dominated and therefore completely ruined Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher), which always incites lunacy but, whisper it, simply isn't very good! Break The Spell on the other hand is fantastic and any carnage associated with it is thoroughly deserved! Perhaps the nicest surprise of the evening was the reinstatement of American Wedding, which was introduced as being samba style? It didn't sound too different to me but it provoked more carnage which sadly I just wasn't able to join in with! By this time I'd tired of wearing my coat round my waist and was carrying it in my arms, but it's so damned bulky it made my arms sweat and I just wished that I could dump the whole thing. The main set then finished with Pala Tute before the ever-tiresome Start Wearing Purple, which I recognised immediately despite Eugene proclaiming it as a traditional Jewish folk song and then proceeding to play one! However, they did revert to the song and I just don't understand why everyone goes so crazy. The song is just so plodding and mediocre and is hopelessly overshadowed by classics such as Not A Crime or Baro Foro, but I do like it when Sergey does his scream at the end and I loved it when they launched into a reprise of Break The Spell, which signalled the end of the main set.
As usual the band remained onstage to take a breather, wave a bit and thank us before leaving the stage. I was doubtful they'd be playing Ultimate at this late stage but was far more shocked by the omission of Mishto! I thought the band could open their encore with it but I should have remembered that Gogol Bordello have a habit of pissing encores away. Rather than going with the tunes we wanted they returned to play When Universes Collide and Sun Is On My Side, two perfectly nice songs if utilised as mid-set filler but hardly encore material!! Frustratingly the whole show had been full of unnecessary cuts, even if there were a few interesting moments such as the bassist doing some singing and Sergey trying his hand at guitar. Nevertheless, the balance of the set was wrong but there's always one song guaranteed to overshadow any such disappointments. Yes, it was now time for the Baro Foro mash-up, and despite how I felt I still found some more energy to mosh with. It was a struggle though and I was very nearly sick, but fortunately as I was now in front of the mixing desk I was able to do what I wanted to do without too much interference. The song very quickly segued into Undestructable before a brilliant segment of Sally and - the one which really got me jumping - When The Trickster Starts A-Poking (Bordello Kind Of Guy)! Of course, My Strange Uncles From Abroad was also shoehorned in and this was the best ever collage of songs. Baro Foro itself was actually quite concise but they gave us our moneys worth in the end and I doubt I could have taken anymore anyway! The band dashed to the right and then to the left of the stage before ending on a reprise of Ultimate. Of course, it's probably not called a reprise when you've failed to play the song in the first place though! The band stood around to wave their goodbyes and it was now at the curfew so I'd fully expected this to be the triumphant finale. The crowd had shamed themselves one more time by not treating Baro Foro with the reverence/carnage that it deserved, making me fear that one day they'd drop this classic from the set too. I only hope the band love Baro Foro as much as their real fans do!!
However, speaking of songs which should be dropped from the set, Eugene then returned onstage for a perhaps inevitable but deeply unwelcome rendition of Alcohol. Eugene had asked us if we'd like some after party and I assumed he was plugging the actual after party and not inviting himself to play a bit longer. I'm sure it's not just me who audibly groans when they play this song, but some people seem to like it and the band are absolutely crazy about Alcohol for some reason. I know it's got the word Alcohol in its name and is a mildly pretty song but does anyone seriously want to hear this, especially when it means the band run over curfew and they'd already climaxed with Baro Foro? A couple of the band joined Eugene including Sergey hand-plucking at his violin but I was quite happy when it was all over after the crew gently reminded the band of the curfew and I was thankful I didn't have a train to catch, although I didn't really fancy the walk back. Astonishingly they hadn't played Ultimate or Mishto!, and there are many more tunes they could have played such as Think Locally Fuck Globally, Rebellious Love, Suddenly... (I Miss Carpaty), Forces Of Victory or perhaps full length renditions of Sally or When The Trickster Starts A-Poking (Bordello Kind Of Guy)? I guess it's all academic though, I really wasn't very well and probably couldn't have taken any more excitement. It was a long, cold walk back and I took an alternate route which was quite direct but seemed to take forever. I got a Coke in lieu of more food and found myself with some nasty stomach pains. However, I trundled back to my room ignoring the typical Saturday night in Leeds action going on around me, including some silly crying girl who'd got herself arrested. Once I got back my ears were still whistling but I felt a bit better and was grateful to chill out in the warmth and to draft the review. The next day I actually felt better still and headed for Manchester, a city which is now so vibrant, especially around Exchange Square, that it's almost frightening! I went on the big wheel again and it was interesting to see that Urbis had closed to be redeveloped as the National Football Museum. However, the fun of the weekend was soon over and, despite the disappointments of this show, I have little doubt I'll race to see Gogol Bordello again and that they will learn some lessons from this. Lesson number 1 of course is to stop playing Alcohol and to reinstate Ultimate and Mishto! in the set!
Mark: 8.5/10
Gogol Bordello
Support
The Skints
Alain Johannes
Where
Leeds University Refectory
When
27th November 2010
Price
£17.50
Who with
No-one
Position
In the middle
Comments
Just ten days after Gorillaz, I completed my concert circuit of 2010 with yet another viewing of Gogol Bordello! Apart from LCD Soundsystem it had been a year of safe, old favourites and I do hope the charts perk up a bit from the depths of the late noughties. On the other hand, acts such as Gogol Bordello are so fantastic and vibrant that the alternative plan of only going to gigs I know will be brilliant has some appeal, as I do get bored very easily by mediocrity and should perhaps trust my instincts that when a great band comes along I'll get to know about it. I'd planned this quite a bit in advance but only got round to listening to my personal Gogol Bordello best of when perhaps I should have been swotting up on the Trans-Continental Hustle album a bit more. I very much welcomed the opportunity to visit Leeds for the first time and was able to combine it with a larger tour of Britain as well as my fifth viewing of Gogol Bordello, who it feels like I'll follow anywhere. Firstly I flew to Derry, fulfilling a dream of mine I'd held over the last six months, and I'd be following this trip with a visit to Liverpool and Chester. The Gogol weekend though was perhaps the busiest of the bunch. Frustratingly, I hadn't anticipated the weather taking such a crazily cold turn plus I felt extremely fucking ill. I'd ventured to the doctors to get a yellow fever injection for an exciting trip to South America I had planned, to be greeted with a triple whammy of annoyances. Firstly I caught a nasty chill walking there, secondly I was told that my health centre didn't provide that service and I'd have to go to a smaller centre instead for this simple injection then, just to rub it in, I got charged £60 for the inconvenience of going to a different surgery as that made me a "private patient"!! In fact the injection itself was very easy and I don't understand why they had to subject me to this inconvenience, and I spent the rest of the day in bed trying to recuperate.
Setlist
Tribal Connection
Not A Crime
Wonderlust King
My Companjera
Last One Goes The Hope
Trans-Continental Hustle
Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher)
Break The Spell
Raise The Knowledge
American Wedding
Pala Tute
Start Wearing Purple
When Universes Collide
Sun Is On My Side
Baro Foro (Mash-Up)
Alcohol
