“I’m coming!” Beth Ditto shouts from off stage. “Don’t worry I’m coming!”
Ditto swaggers on to stage, looking cool in the heat of the underground venue. Throughout, she tries to stay cool with the aid of a black fan, which only adds to the style that Ditto exudes when she’s onstage. Hair scraped up into a high ponytail and moving around the front of the tiny stage with such assurance, it’s easy to think that this is the Beth Ditto show, but there’s a high quality band of musicians behind her, including founder band member Nathan Howdeshell (guitar) and long-term drummer Hannah Blilie. Ted Kwo (bass) and Bijoux (keys, vocals) round out the touring band, and provide the foundation for Ditto to do her thing up front.
She heads straight into Listen Up, which somewhat ironically contains the line “Some people talk way too much”. The constant stream of consciousness between songs is charismatic and high energy, and certainly a trademark element of Ditto’s schtick, but it’s often tangential and hard to follow. We bounce from Gogglebox, to a well-documented dislike of the Sex Pistols, to the security guards and a fan’s Panic Shack t-shirt. Incidentally, I think the Cardiff-based band would be an exceptional support for Gossip, but a woman next to me sums it up when she says “I’d just like another song!”
On occasion, Blilie counts in on the sticks mid-Ditto-monologue to snap us back to the reason why we’re all here. To revel in the soulful indie-rock of Gossip’s back catalogue, but also their first album in 12 years Real Power.
Understandably, after such a hiatus, it’s the classics that get the strongest reception. Coal To Diamonds showed off the depth and soul of Ditto’s voice – she had previously told us that she speaks “The Queen’s English – The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin!!”. It demonstrates the eclectic influences that underpin the Gossip output – moving seamlessly from punk to soul to dance within the 18-song set.
These are the moments that make this a show to remember though. Once we get into the music, Gossip are still an outstanding outfit, even after their time away. This is what people came for…to forget ourselves for a bit, dance and sing with no fear of judgement and leave with a smile on your face. As the new album title suggests, that is the real power of Ditto and Gossip.
1. Listen Up
2. Four Letter Word
3. Act of God
4. Love Long Distance
5. Yr Mangled Heart
6. Men In Love
7. Give it Up
8. Get Lost
9. Turn The Card
10. Move
11. Jason’s Basement
12. Coal to Diamonds
13. Crazy Again
14. Heavy Cross
15. Dimestore Diamond
16. Yesterday’s News
17. Standing On the Edge of Control
