The first time I saw THE GOSSIP play live, it was back in March at the much larger Starlight Ballroom. They were opening for headliners MATES OF STATE and we got there late, so we only got to see them play four or five songs. To atone for this, we bought tickets for this show. And as an added bonus, ERASE ERRATA were the openers, so we knew that we were in for a treat.
Fortunately, The Gossip didn’t disappoint. In recent years, their music has been moving away from the primal blues-punk of yore towards something approaching disco-flavored dance-punk on their latest, Standing in the Way of Control. While songs like the title track feel stilted on record, in a live setting they came off as much more raw and in-your-face. Then again, with a singer as powerful as BETH DITTO, who sounds like a ‘60s soul shouter, it’s almost impossible for anything they play live to feel like anything else but a raw, visceral and primal experience. Furthermore, there’s the fact that you can’t take your eyes off of her. Her stage presence is simply unbelievable.
Playing an approximately hour-long set, The Gossip expertly blended material from their new album with older material from their previous albums Movement and Arkansas Heat. For only three people (Ditto, guitarist NATHAN and drummer HANNAH BILLIE), they make quite a racket. And Billie’s disco-influenced, syncopated beats were a highlight as well.
Openers Erase Errata played a terrific set of early’ 80s-inspired post-punk that reminded me of the best moments of female-fronted bands of that era, like BUSH TETRAS, AU PAIRS and DELTA 5. Though they bordered on mimicry at times, it still felt fresh and powerful to these ears. Partially that’s because they play the style really well, and manage to incorporate just enough of their own style and personalities to keep things reasonably fresh. Their new album Nightlife is tighter and more controlled than the more chaotic, no-wave influenced records of the past, but to me it’s a welcome change. In this particular case accessibility isn’t a bad thing.
