Who
Gogol Bordello
Support
Lucky Chops
Where
Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
When
15th December 2017
Price
£23.50
Who with
No-one
Position
In the middle
Comments
It's hard to believe that it had been three years since I'd seen Gogol Bordello and, despite feeling like the last band I'd got into, that a full ten years had elapsed since the first time I'd watched and enjoyed them. I reckon that their energy is still so fresh that I can't quite grasp that I've enjoyed it for a full decade and across eight live viewings, and inevitably I bagged my ticket straight away, although it's a sorry state of affairs that I had to attend by myself. I got and heard the new album Seekers And Finders a good few times, as well as going back to listen through Pura Vida Conspiracy to remind myself that Gogol Bordello are still a force to be reckoned with. I didn't get round to hearing the older hits, but must update my personal best of compilation at some point soon. The Gorillaz concert two weeks earlier had teased at cold weather, and the following weekend it hit full force with a crazy amount of snow, even stranding me in a distant town for my work Christmas party, which I only managed to leave thanks to the offer of a lift. The treacherous conditions and skidding about on the ice the moment I was lulled into a false sense of security did put me off driving for the full week though, meaning I worked from home on the Monday before braving the surprisingly effective bus and train services on the Tuesday to Thursday. On this Friday morning I foolishly decided that it would be fine to ease myself back into driving, then found my car was covered in windscreen ice so thick that de-icer wouldn't help to get it off, then ultimately being late to work as I got stuck in gridlock amid exactly the kind of slippy and appalling conditions I'd so wanted to avoid!

The day before the show I saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which I refrained from passing judgement on until witnessing it a second time. I also went on a work night out on the Wednesday, being mightily disappointed as everyone lamely chose to pull out because of the weather, leaving just me and one other guy to enjoy a beautiful Thai meal. December is always a busy time of year and is a favourite month for Gogol Bordello to tour, which makes some sense as they hardly strike me as a summery band. This felt like their most extensive tour in a good few years, but it's a shocker that Gogol Bordello somehow find themselves relegated to the Wulfrun Hall, as apparently the obscure Thunder were occupying the larger Civic next door. How can people not be coming back for more after seeing how good Gogol are live? I also was trying to plan my Saturday, which entailed an ambitious circuit of the Black Country region to take in some Christmas Tree festivals and museums in Dudley and Wolverhampton. It's fortunate that the snow thawed a good bit to not thwart those plans! After a day of work I wandered over to the Wolverhampton Christmas Market round the back of the church, which I found to be disappointing and deserted, with not enough atmosphere for me to justify staying for any food or drink. The best thing about it was that they'd done a good job of removing all the ice! I still needed feeding though, so decided to head to KFC, ignoring my previous lessons not to attend as it leaves your hands and face greasy and not in the best position for a night out. I had the urge for chicken though so just couldn't resist!

I was glad to spot that KFC were offering a festive bucket for one, including chips that tasted like paprika Pringles crisps and a generous variety of chicken to boot. I then headed to the Wulfrun, past the people awaiting Thunder at the Civic and spotting the entrance fenced off with a metal detector to get past. It's sad that security has had to become so tight thanks to terrorist twats, but I encountered no queue or fuss getting in, having to stop off first to pick up my ticket inside the first set of doors. A lady with a table full of tickets asked me which company I'd purchased my ticket from, which I obviously didn't know, but luckily she found mine before I had to get my phone out and verify for myself. Unusually the support band - Lucky Chops - had their name printed on the ticket, and I then headed inside, encountering a very quiet hall despite it being a good bit later than the 7pm opening time. I noted an interesting t-shirt featuring Eugene and the slogan "this moustache kills fascists", and it was memorable because I've never thought of Gogol Bordello as a political band, although it seems inevitable really due to their disparate nationalities and kinship with refugees in a political climate that opposes them. I headed to the bar and ordered a Coke, being staggered that it only cost £1.80 for a fairly large glass. It helped to offset the taste of chicken in my mouth and also gave me some time to write up some initial notes in the bar area. Although the lack of crowd enthusiasm was unexpected and worrying, I quite welcomed the peace and quiet after a busy week!

I thought that the Wulfrun had been closed - along with the Civic - for refurbishment, so it was shocking that the venue seemed completely unaltered. Seeing The Civic itself for Greg Davies gig earlier made me wonder just what the hell they've been doing in all this time, and reading articles complaining about the costs escalating for the refurb wasn't nice, as if they'd just kept the halls open rather than closing them and doing naff all work things would have been better! The Wulfrun was the first place I'd ever seen Gogol Bordello ten years and one week earlier, as well as being the site of my first ever gig in 1997. It did make it feel like things had come full circle. The DJ unusually played Gypsy Part Of Town, which no-one seemed to clock as being by the headliners, and I caught up on my phone internet too, feeling that despite all the snow and ice cancelling some of my plans, that at least the biggest events were unaffected. The backdrop for support act Lucky Chops was already up when I walked in, and they took to the stage at 8pm amid a very warm welcome. Initially the lighting was unnecessarily bright and distracting, but the band made a great first impression, as it was five guys, with a black drummer wearing a beanie hat bringing up the rear and providing the essential backbone to their sound, leaving the four guys up front sporting brass instruments, two of them topless and no-one on vocals, although one of the guys took on the role of speaking to us between tunes. And I must say that their sound was awesome and energetic, and although I doubt that many of the crowd knew the material, it was so catchy that we quickly got into it.

So much so that there was even some moshing, and with their incessant energy and enthusiasm I was hugely impressed, with one of the group even sporting a trumpet/brass instrument that looked heavy, which was enormous and draped around his neck. They were relentlessly tuneful and encouraged the crowd to clap along, announcing that it was their first time playing Wolves and that they'd be playing a new tune for us - called Happy Birthday! This may just have been a laboured attempt to wish happy birthday to two of their friends who were name-checked, as the tune sure didn't sound like Happy Birthday to me! Proceedings escalated to another level as they launched into an energetic tune that I soon clocked was a brass-heavy cover of Helter Skelter by The Beatles. I couldn't believe my ears and shot a video to capture the moment, featuring very clear sound and making me feel further forward than I was, which was more of an indication that the venue was a nice modest size, where even at the back you have a decent view. My next video was blurry with purple lights, then another attempt in focus but right at the end of a song. There was also a shout-out to the drummer and a solo from him, and he was solid enough to allow the rest of the band to freestyle and enjoy themselves, and preventing it all from descending into a complete shambles. Lucky Chops played a tune that seemed to be Say You'll Be There by the Spice Girls, and researching it afterwards suggests that they did in fact do this, in addition to possibly a cheeky burst of Heart Of Glass by Blondie. It was delightful and amusing, and I could barely believe my ears!

There was no mistaking I Feel Good by James Brown though, and the fast pace as they smashed through it with energised trumpets had to be seen to be believed. The front man went into the audience at the end, leading the crowd like the Pied Piper Of Hamelin, and I shot a video capturing yellow lights and the electric atmosphere. The fact I shot four videos for a support slot at a quite small scale concert says it all really. The annoying rap guy from Gogol Bordello guested on portable drums at the end, but seemed subdued and to have aged quite a bit, as well as looking a little feminine! Lucky Chops couldn't resist giving a shout-out to Gogol Bordello at the end, but didn't need to resort to such gimmicks as they'd done enough to earn our respect on their own merits. I was going to say that I'd happily see them play again, but they seemed to play such a definitive and thrilling set that I don't know if they could live up to it! Gogol Bordello were supposed to be taking to the stage at 9pm, but showed up closer to 9:15pm. I wore my thick coat around my waist, but just like for Gorillaz it kept slipping, although due to the temperature I would have been mental to risk anything thinner. I also was wearing my classic Furrymania SFA top, and can't say I paid much notice to the crowd. I'd say that they generally looked a quite normal and chilled-out bunch, although I couldn't help noticing the Goth couple, who looked like Robert Smith from The Cure dating a wannabe Goth schoolgirl, plus an exceptionally tall transvestite in front of me, who luckily moved away before the main event so I could actually see the stage! There also were some far older fans who I must applaud for having good taste in music, despite seeming to be bordering on Great Grandparenthood! I decided to stand quite far back, and judging by the empty space it was embarrassing that this brilliant show somehow hadn't sold out, although I wasn't planning to be moshing tonight, and the excellent size of the room meant my position was pretty good anyway.

The backdrop was a black and white version of the linked hands artwork and name of their latest album Seekers & Finders, which I've just noted I wrongly named as Finders And Keepers on my iPod, in subconscious tribute to the classic CITV show with Neil Buchanan. Gogol Bordello started off with a focus on the new album, with what I thought was just Did It All, but the setlist I've found suggests it was pre-faced by Break Into Your Higher Self. It was a solid start, if subdued compared to the insane crowds of Gogol past, so much more welcome was Not A Crime! I shot a video of the introduction capturing some moshing, and Eugene's shirt was already open and he was sporting a black jacket. I couldn't resist my camera bobbing up and down in time to it, then stopped the video short of it all going mad. It was great, although my choosing to be further back and not as engaged in the moshpit was a hard choice, as with this detached eye Gogol Bordello didn't seem quite as enthusiastic and mental as they'd done in the past. They certainly sound more polished, and unless I've imagined it they do seem to have stopped all the songs flowing into one another, as Eugene used to kick off the introductions via his loud acoustic-style guitar just as the last song finished. Next up was Wonderlust King, where I shot a nice video of the pause before the chorus, with Eugene and Sergey clearly in focus. The zoom was working nicely and if I was rude enough to hold my camera above my head I could have captured some even more fantastic footage. I shot another video for much of the first verse to Ultimate, which was delightfully tuneful and drawn out, with the moshing in front also suitably slowed down. Eugene was dancing around with his guitar on his back, and this barrage of awesome hits was greatly appreciated.

By my count Gogol Bordello had eight members, with three of them being "original" in my eyes, although apparently the annoying rap guy joined them around the time I became a fan, and may even have been part of the show from back when I first started seeing them. Eugene started them off in 1999, with Sergey Ryabtsev joining the party the following year, then the quiet but ever-present Thomas on bass in 2006. Apparently he is from Ethiopia, in contrast to Sergey's Russian background and Eugene's Ukrainian birth, but being America-based yet originating from all over the world is very much their spirit. Some of the long-standing members had sadly departed, including Pamela and notably Yuri, who'd been in their midst from 2001 to 2013. A new girl was in the group but she wasn't as animated as the original ladies, although did the same trick of materialising to add energy where needed to the more exciting moments. I also believe that guitarist Boris had joined them since I last watched the guys in 2014, and we ourselves were honoured as temporary band members when Eugene praised us as being their Wolverhampton choir! I struggled to get my camera into focus for photographs, making me fear that it is suffering that sadly all too common fate of worthlessness due to a tiny bit of dirt on the lens, although luckily I had already purchased a replacement, although I was shocked that camera prices seem to have skyrocketed since my last purchase. Eugene only briefly went topless before putting his shirt back on, although as it was such a cold day it was tough to say if that was a judgement on us for being a poor crowd or an acknowledgement of the extreme weather! I shot another video for Saboteur Blues, which I reckon is my favourite of the new tunes, with the new girl in red and prowling the middle of the stage, also dueting with Eugene. As it was a newbie I don't think the crowd fully appreciated it, but I enjoyed it!

I don't mind My Companjera but it just never seems to justify its mad reception, and the less said about Alcohol the better. Sadly I have too many awful memories of Gogol Bordello ruining what should be the most thrilling part of an encore by launching into endless renditions of this deeply mediocre number, and it's hard to see what the attraction is besides the gratuitous lyric. Perhaps if the band didn't keep forcing it down our throats I may have grown to appreciate it, but sadly I don't see how I can undo the mental damage the lameness of this tune has done! Support band Lucky Chops kept reappearing onstage, I think firstly for the lovely Walking On The Burning Coal, and then the thrilling We Rise Again. I shot a video of this and the extra energy added by the support band was outstanding, as it's not like Gogol Bordello were boring to begin with! One baffling omission that has always confounded me is Rebellious Love, so it was great to finally hear it, and the slowed-down pace to draw its relentless tunefulness to the fore was greatly appreciated. I shot another video, with Eugene beautifully teasing the backing vocals out of Sergey and the gang. I know it's been performed unconventionally in the past, but I was really surprised with myself for not recognising Trans-Continental Hustle until it was well under way, and shame on me as most of the crowd seemed to go mad for it, either out of recognition or general enthusiasm. I think this was the last of five songs in a row featuring Lucky Chops, then I couldn't help turning off as everyone went predictably apeshit to Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher). I still hate it, and with the annoying rap guy taking the lead it reminds me of everything I dislike about that aspect of Gogol Bordello. However, I certainly seemed to be in the minority here, as it felt like everyone else loved it!

Although both band and crowd felt a bit muted at first, and I might as well have had my arms tied behind my back with my self-imposed exile from the moshpit, the relentless talent and tunefulness of Gogol Bordello couldn't help to wear us down, and some of the hits to come - and especially those I weren't expecting - turned this from a pleasant retread of past glories to a fantastic reminder of just how awesome Gogol Bordello remain. If there were any doubters left they were surely won over by Mishto!, as Lucky Chops reappeared for a thrilling and delightfully drawn-out rendition. I shot a video of the intro, documenting that this was the point where Eugene had gone topless, and the red lights and band standing high at the front of the stage rocking out down upon us was a sight to behold. I shot a lovely segment but couldn't resist another snippet of toward the end, now featuring multi-coloured lights. Although much gentler live than you would expect, any song this wonderful and insistent couldn't fail to win everyone over. The band were getting the crowd to chant along to it, and I was pleased to capture footage of Sergey milking the ending, drawing it out just as you'd want him to. By comparison Hieroglyph felt a little dull, although it was intriguing as I'd never heard it live before, and as a result it took me a while to recognise it. However, if I or indeed anyone here still held any lingering doubts, the point where these were utterly destroyed was now upon us! Gogol Bordello unleashed a song that I barely even realised I'd never heard live properly before, because it has always formed part of a larger and more amazing whole.

I couldn't believe my ears when Gogol Bordello launched into Undestructable! Normally it is segued into Baro Foro, so to hear it standing on its own merits was very special. I shot a video, revealing that there were practically no lights, with Eugene wearing a top again and the power of the tune if anything being amplified by the slow pace. I zoomed in as Eugene started singing and enjoyed the moment, then before I had time to think about it and consider that the downside of this moment was that Baro Foro was likely consigned to the dustbin, Sergey stepped forward... And launched into the violin part of Baro Foro! I couldn't believe it, and instantly started moshing with a few others, although frustratingly it seemed that many had no idea of the significance of this astonishing tune! I got a short and shaky but powerful video of the pure violin-led wonder Baro Foro, as indeed how could anyone keep their hands steady in the face of such glory? The girl was banging a big drum much as Pamela used to in the old days, and although it was far from the full length version of the past, after having to wait seven years to hear it again I was just thrilled to have it back in the set, as a few minutes of that classic violin moment and hints of the rest of the song was just so much appreciated. Also by switching it round and letting Undestructable take the lead it was an exciting twist on the inevitable highlight of a Bordello concert. Although I felt that the crowd weren't giving it the enthusiasm it deserved, I must admit that I was so absorbed in the moment that once it really got into it I barely noticed what anyone else was doing anyway.

Next up was Start Wearing Purple, as I shot two videos featuring the inevitable purple lights, and although very frustrating that it went down better than Baro Foro, I must say that I do seem to enjoy it more on each listen, and when Sergey reached his bit at the end and we all screamed along to "why don't we start wearing purple now", it was just extraordinary. The main set then drew to a close with Sally, which I half-expected was the end of the concert altogether because a glimpse of one setlist online had suggested that was the case. I was so entranced in the moment that I forgot to record even a snippet, and Gogol Bordello left the stage to rapturous applause. Eugene quickly emerged holding a piece of paper claiming that they'd been informed that they only had five minutes left and needed to wrap it up, before ripping up the note! The guys then launched into Pala Tute, which kicked off with an introduction that had been embellished to sound like Twist And Shout by The Beatles. I shot a video of this, with Eugene and Sergey leading the crowd, and I think Eugene calling out someone down the front for doing something dangerous, but not in a particularly strict way. Eugene had also been using a book as a prop for some reason, then in a break toward the end of Pala Tute he pulled it out again to read an extract, which turned out to be the "carnival is leaving, and her breasts are heaving" finale, then the song built back up again. I shot a second video of the violin bits and was astonished that Eugene had reached an encore with his top on, but less surprised by all the people in front of me jumping around. It really is a sorry state of affairs when a band as brilliant as Gogol Bordello can't play the Civic, as if anything they should be pushing the arena circuit. Although if their popularity did get that high I do fear their charm may start to wear off.

Although it was now past 11pm, the talk of the five-minute time limit was exposed as a ruse as Eugene announced that they'd magically found the time for another tune! I could barely believe my ears when they launched into Think Locally, Fuck Globally, although I'm very surprised to note that they had actually played it the last time I saw them! The classic fire bucket drum solo by Eugene was present and correct, but the new girl wasn't quite brave enough to stand on a large drum suspended above the crowd. Lucky Chops had also re-emerged to add some hardly-needed additional chaos to the mix, and the embarrassing barrage of hits was almost too much to absorb. I can't believe that I was contemplating dropping this tune from my Gogol Bordello best of compilation! I shot a video capturing the band encouraging us to chant "hey hey", and then it was all over, as the lights came up and the guys hung around onstage to bow and wave to us. I suspect that they - like us - took a while to warm up and appreciate the concert, although as we were a relatively sedate crowd by Bordello standards perhaps it was their professionalism that led to them seeming so moved by what had often been a sadly muted reception. Rather disgustingly as I made my way out I had to hold my breath as someone had been sick outside the ladies toilets, although I suspect it was a guy responsible for this debacle! I resisted the dodgy £5 t-shirts outside, although perhaps I should have gone for it while I'd had the chance!

I walked back to my car and it was fine underfoot, with ice only on my car and in my car park, so much so that I had to take some time out to defrost my windscreen, giving me chance to write up a few notes. I think that the worry of knowing I had to be in a fit state to drive back - for probably my first ever time after a concert - was one of the key reasons why I'd wanted to restrain myself, but I drove back safely, succeeded in waking up early the next day for a morning swim, and my whistling ears recovered after a while. If I'm going to talk about omissions, I have to accept that this setlist was amongst their strongest, with the taste of Baro Foro being the icing on the cake. American Wedding and When The Trickster Starts A-Poking (Bordello Kind Of Guy) were the most notable classic omissions, whereas I'm very surprised that the brilliant Malandrino had been dropped, as I would say that it's the highlight of the quite recent Pura Vida Conspiracy album, and was present and correct the last two times I saw the guys. I hadn't got to enjoy American Wedding live since 2010, and I also note that Break The Spell was missing, as it had been the last time around. I had the taste for Gogol Bordello though, and couldn't resist watching some highlights of their live DVD, reminding me that arguably the strength of the new material that added to the set outweighs that of the older tunes that have long since fell by the wayside to make room for them. Although my real love is for the Gogol albums up to Super Taranta!, preparing for this show reminded me that the latter trilogy of Trans-Continental Hustle, Pura Vida Conspiracy and Seekers And Finders are hardly poor by comparison, and the strength of this insistently and relentlessly tuneful show reminded me why Gogol Bordello still feel so exciting, and even after ten years they sound like a fresh and new group to me.
Setlist
Break Into Your Higher Self/Did It All
Not A Crime
Wonderlust King
Ultimate
Saboteur Blues
My Companjera
Alcohol
Walking On The Burning Coal
We Rise Again
Rebellious Love
Love Gangsters
Trans-Continental Hustle
Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher)
Mishto!
Hieroglyph
Undestructable/Baro Foro
Start Wearing Purple
Sally
Pala Tute
Think Locally, Fuck Globally
n.b. This setlist was from another gig, but it's either correct or similar

Mark: 8.0/10