Gossip | Dead Pony
Eventim Olympia, Liverpool
1st September 2024
On the back of a few UK Festivals, Beth Ditto’s Gossip reunite and head out on a short run of dates showcasing their new album Real Power.
The Eventim Liverpool Olympia started as an indoor circus in 1905 and has seen many changes in its lifetime. It’s a fitting location for Beth Ditto’s Gossip who formed in Olympia, Washington in 1999 and who, like the venue, have seen a few changes. Their second reunion sees them return to the UK for a few festival appearances and a handful of dates showcasing new album Real Power.
The crowd gather outside the venue well before the doors open and there is a good chatter amongst the early arrivals. It seems that the limited number of shows has seen members of the queue travel from far and wide. As the crowd drifts in they are greeted by a spacious and ornate auditorium which retains much of its original charm.
Support tonight comes from Dead Pony, who are building themselves a formidable live reputation. An action-packed performance sees the Glasgow-based foursome thrash through seven songs, mostly taken from their Ignore This album.
Anna Shields (vocals) is a blur of high kicks, karate poses, leaps and bounces. She visits Blair Crichton (guitar) and Liam Adams (bass) throughout, who are both throwing themselves into their own performance. Stand-out tracks tonight are MK Nothing and Rainbows. The set, albeit short, is easily enough to encourage those cheering and applauding at its close to catch a headline show on their upcoming December tour.
The stage is decorated with a large Gossip backdrop. The Gossip members are co-founder Nathan “Brace Paine” Howdeshell (guitars) and long-termer Hannah Blilie (drums) alongside recent touring members Ted Kwo (bass) and Bijoux (keys and guitar). They take to the stage to warm applause, but Beth Ditto’s arrival raises the noise to a crescendo.
A swift greeting leads straight into Listen Up!. Ditto’s smooth ‘Ooh, oh ooh oh’ soon gives way to a snappy refrain of ‘…some people talk way too much, take my advice and listen up’. Soulful elements intertwine with key phrases which are belted out with a punk spirit. The band’s rhythm section deliver a constant groove with the keys and guitars flashing highlights like the disco lights. The sound blends Ditto’s vocals with the thumping dance floor beats, all with a grunged-up punk attitude.
Ditto fills the breaks with her monologues; she talks to audience members by name, checks on ones who are getting jostled, and apologises to nephews for swearing. She is a heady mix of carey, sweary, Arkansassy, self-deprecation. Dittos fake red ponytail may doing her ‘head in’ and her outfit may come from a ‘little boutique called Amazzzoooon’, but she looks a million dollars.
The crowd greet each of the older tunes with the delight born of seeing an old friend. The new album, Real Power, features heavily. The lead single, Crazy Again, is a highlight of the whole set with a perfectly coordinated clap-along. New songs sit neatly alongside the old with no loss of interest or engagement from those in attendance.
Heavy Cross concludes the main set, with Ditto singing into the phone of a fan. She is so busy singing, that the band leave the stage without notice. A friendly hand is sent to guide her backstage as she sings merrily to herself. The crowd shout for more and don’t wait for long. An encore that builds to Standing In The Way Of Control and a crowd singalong of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody is enough to send everyone home happy.
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Gossip are on their website, Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter)
Words and pictures by Neil Chapman (Unholy Racket). You can visit his author profile for Louder Than War. He is usually found on Facebook and he tweets as @unholyracket
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