Reviews

Gossip

Gossip at Night and Day

A perfectly warmed up crowd and a new air conditioning system – could this be the sign of yet another magical eve at Night and Day? Indubitably. Gossip are amazing. From the first beats to the third encore, their simple infectious rock and roll electro blues sneak up the spine and squirm through every fibre of the body.

It’s so rare to find a band with a singer with the charisma and pure talent of Ms Beth Ditto. Looking like a vamped up 50s Ricki Lake after the fashion advice of RuPaul, Ms Ditto is pure dirty soul, slamming every inch of her body and soul into every single note. 

Gossip’s formula of basic drums, jerky guitar or bass and poppy soul vocals is simple enough, but once imbued with Ditto's vigour, becomes an unstoppable force. There were moments when I found myself agog with admiration, dribbling into my overpriced beer. Raw, pure, gorgeous talent and all here for less than a tenner.

I joined less than 200 people to see this piece of history tonight, and have no doubt that similar droplets of brilliance fall regularly in the small and overlooked venues of our fair city on a weekly basis. Seek them out while you can.