I don't know a thing about the headline act before tonight, really, (apart from what I get out of the obligatory visit to myspace, which reveals an admiration of sultry dramatics and a kinship with Les Georges Leningrad and Sleater Kinney). I do, however, know about Comanechi and I decide missing them probably wouldn't be too distressing. So we sneak away from the roulette of Oxford Street for Sans Serac, essentially a Frenchman lost in Studio 54. While his beat is a strangely slinky one - brassy with cowbell strut which keeps shy shoulders moving - it grows thin too soon. Style?>Substance. Central's not averse to heavy doses of either of those, but this really is no place for the bored chatter which ensues. It puts you ill at ease. So...wot's da goss?
The girl is fat. There’s no need to be snide and dance around it. Or p'raps, whisper it behind turned backs. At least half a live show should be for your eyes, and for The Gossip - who burn-up halfway between The Bellrays and The YYY’s for my ears - frontwoman Beth Ditto is a riot grrrl hall of mirrors. Distorted and warped, there she is, filling out the wiry modern soul o’ the O with old-house Madam burlesque – she was raised right and proper, this one, but since then she’s bent herself a bit out of shape. I’ll have no saying the weight’s a problem, though. You know she’s doubled her sweetheart ratios since she put herself on a stage. She knows this. She’s well aware of it. It’s what she does. In fact, the whole show is built around catching the audience off-guard and making them ponder, “…Would I?” Vacant eyes lay paths to the stage, stuck like a Vice feature writer lost in one of their more sombre, reflective moments. 3…5…7? Na, can’t be a 7…8?!
…And that’s an entire paragraph about her weight. Jesus Christ. I’m gonna get strung up by those people who think aesthetics really are the shallowest. But it’s justified, trust…The band actively work to create those sombre, reflective moments, especially early on in their set, knowing they'll encourage impure thoughts keeping the whole thing, inevitably, revolving around the big ‘It’. The bass moves in circles and the drums are kept to a minimum, so the whole thing just manages enough motion to wink in some pretension of depth. Then, any downbeat hush at the set's start is swooped at by swank and rush-up; blustering on about “Go on, go, go…” and then, as the set wears on, the hush condenses into sweat and you have to go on, GO. The orange sun’s been setting all day in this roadside diner so now people have more important things on their mind. Allow sex. We’ve got bigger fish to fry. Hold on. Let’s not get carried away. We’re English.
Well, she was a bit weighty, but by God! She’s got a cracking set of pipes on her. Oh and by the way, the only thing she shares with Sleater Kinney is their taste in men. Klunk. There's the spanner.
God help us...
I guess anybody can write a review these days. I never thought I'd say this, but I think it requires a certain level of maturity to attend and appreciate a really good rock show. The fact that you are aware of the fact that you wrote far too much about Beth Ditto's weight but went ahead anyway is not cute (yeah you thought you had yourself covered with that b.s.)-it's stupid. You missed the point of the whole fucking show (and of punk rock in general). It's not the image that's important-it's the artistry, the sheer power of the music, and there's more than enough of that to go around at a Gossip show. This article reminds me a lot of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George keep saying "not that there's anything wrong with that" when speaking about homosexuality. Like you, they may ultimately be well-meaning, but they are well-meaning fools, uncomfortable and desperately trying to cover up their insecurities. Anyway, you obviously grasp very little about riot grrrl, but let me throw this in for good measure. Your statement "...the only thing she shares with Sleater Kinney is her taste in men" is puzzling at best. Beth Ditto is pretty exclusively into girls (although I think she was/is dating a female-to-male transgendered person), and Sleater-Kinney is made up of women with a variety of sexual preferences. I'm no Mike Diver, but I know I could do better than this schlock.
Na.
Image had no place in punk rock whatsoever.
It does, however, have a place at a live show. And considering The Gossip place such a high premium on sex, surely it's fair to concentrate on that too? If I didn't I'd be completely missing the point.
But you are right about one thing.
FAT PEOPLE MAKE ME INSECURE.
I'll walk you through it
Any band that is serious about punk rock and gets it is only concerned about image from the standpoint of being anti-fashion (not putting any effort into one's appearance requires minimal thought and is therefore not contrived). Some of the bands in the mid to late '70's dressed flamboyantly, but it was meant to be trashy and unpalatable to the general public and to annihilate the idea of "rock stars." Generally speaking, punk rock offers an alternative to pre-packaged musicians. What you see is what you get. Beth weighs as much onstage as she does when she wakes up in the morning. Her weight is not something she has thought out and intentionally incorporated into the show. She is what she is, and they do play songs about sex, sure (not many rock bands don't). But is fat people sex really so different and shocking? I was under the impression that their approach was very similar to that of thin people. And besides, the Gossip also play songs about love, hate, friendship, and social issues. So obviously they are like many other rock bands in their subject matter. What sets them apart is that they do it better, not that Beth Ditto doesn't fit into your narrow parameters for how a rock singer should look. In other words, the entire review was skewed by your twisted perception. As for fat people making you insecure, that's not really what I said anyway. What I was saying was that your reaction to a person who was overweight revealed that you are an insecure person. Shallow too, but you've been told that before probably.
what a silly silly SILLY
review.
I totally agree,
rubbish review. I've re-read it three times to try and spot the part where it talks about the music. Can anybody help me find it?
2nd and 3rd paragraph
..
thoroughly terrible review. the only enjoyable part of visiting this page was being reminded of THAT seinfeld episode. ha.
Dreadful
I'm surprised this passed muster. Truth is I go to about 4 gigs a week because of my job, didn't know anything about The Gossip and came away thinking they were in the top three live bands I've seen this year.
I have serious doubts this guy even attended the gig and is trying to cover it up by talking complete bollocks. I hope this guy gets punished for his incompetence...
gimp...
this is possibly the worst review of any gig i've ever read in all the time i have been checking out drownedinsound.
the gossip are an important band to people. there are loads of people who would have appriciated a guestlist place at this gig, would have known the gossips recorded work, and would have wanted to write an informed review of the gig. instead we get some gimp who has never heard the band, has no grasp on their politics or their music (they were around a long time before the yyy's and that other rubbish garage band they get compared to) and actully has the audacity to spend half the review blasting on about beth's weight, frankly the person who wrote this should be sacked.
for the record beth ditto is an engaging frontwoman (which i agree is important in a live setting) the gossip have three albums that rock and on the their day it has been said they are one of the best live bands in the world.
Ouch
Worst review...
...ever.
I'm pretty astounded that this passed the editorial team - particularly as there are countless other writers out there who can write with verve, passion and elegance. And by that, I don't mean a writer who will automatically give a positive review to the Gossip - rather a writer who actually understands and FEELS what this band means to its fanbase.
I didn't understand a jot of this review - truly, truly awful.
How
on earth did this get through?
check out his other reviews
he's probably the worst reviewer on this site.
i disagree
check out this cunt;
http://www.drownedinsound.com/user/view/17421
I heard
he's shit...
bov
wut ?
George Bush doesnt care about black owls
me neither
Don't forget he bunked Comanechi
The fact that its a crap piece of writing aside. The main thing that gets me is that he knowingly missed Conmanechi whom I think he might have actually liked. Such a fool (to use a Gossip term of abuse i.e. fool).
Terrible
why go on about Beth's weight? She is an amazing frontwoman, she's engaging and has a great voice. That's got to be the worse review I've read in a while...grumble, grumble.
the best...
... gig i have seen them do. was an absolute cracker from one of the best bands around right now
check out some pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mic_n_2_sugars/sets/72157594174782217/
Much as I hate to actually agree with people
That was shocking. I actually thought for the first paragraph that the review might be 'in character' or something. Who on earth gets to review something like this having never heard of the band? By way of research looks at the band's myspace and then seems to assume they're some kind of new band? And then just goes on about Beth being fat?
I'm not sure which possibility is more alarming: If he actually attended the gig or not. If he did and still wrote that, he's deeply unperceptive and uninterested in music. If he didn't, he's at least just a good old fashioned liar.
Missing the point...
...you all are!
You need sex appeal in a band and Beth Ditto is sexy as f*ck! End of story!
Why does being fat and sexy have to always be talked about as mutually exclusive???
I think it's patronising to Beth to say "oh leave her alone, she's got a great voice." Like it makes up for the 'negative' of her being fat. There is no negative!
Or "it's not about image" it IS about image!! Of course it is. Punk started off in a clothes shop! Johnny Rotton loved his Viv Westwood clothes! Joe Strummer wanted to join The Clash cos he wanted to dress like Mick Jones after meeting him in the street!
Beth has a great image, she's unruly, intimidating, messy, uncontained, larger than life. Just how a rock star should be. She's not skinny and neat and tidy and well behaved like, say, Annie from Giant Drag. Yawn.
Have you guys ever heard of someone called Courtney Love??!!!
"Larger than life"
lol.
You really joined up just to post that?
The point is this guy knew next to nothing about the band and said nothing whatsoever about the music.
Are you seriously comparing BD to Courtney Love?
No
Punk did not start in a clothes shop. Punk started in America with Television (Richard Hell's hair looked spiky because he had cut it short and it was dirty), Patti Smith, and the Ramones at CBGB's. Malcolm McClaren took the perceived "fashion" of the American punk scene and encouraged the guys who would become the Sex Pistols to dress similarly. I am always floored by how many people do not realize that punk did not start in the UK with the Damned, the Clash, and the Pistols. Go back to rock 'n' roll school.
a dire review
end of.
Shut up
i thought this review was rather funny. you guys have no sense of humour!