Gomez - Live at Liverpool Academy - 06/08/06
Posted by Stephen Mogan on 06.16.2006
The boys are back in town...
It's customary when reviewing a great gig to mention how "at home" the band is in "the live arena". Taking this cliché and building upon it, if some bands are at home playing live, Gomez turn up to the venue with an Ikea truck full of oddly-named lamps and cushions. I've been blown away each time I've seen them and find it difficult to imagine how anybody could walk away from one of their shows disappointed. Last year's live album, "Out West", was fantastic, but it only painted half the picture. With an ever-changing setlist drawn from 5 albums worth of material and a knack for throwing in jaw-dropping re-interpretations of old favourites, each Gomez gig is a truly unique experience. Knowing all this, why wasn't I positively foaming at the mouth at the prospect of seeing Gomez live again?
Well, those of you who read my review of their new album, "How We Operate", will already know the answer to that. While not a bad record by any means, it's a lot mellower than their older stuff. I couldn't fathom how this stuff could excite me when played live. Add this to the fact that the band has recently enjoyed a new lease of life over in the States (As drummer Olly Peacock explained when I interviewed him recently), and I figured that they'd push the last two albums and focus less on the earlier stuff. This didn't fill me with great confidence, assuming as I did that a lot of my favourite tracks would get lost in the shuffle. Add to all this a ridiculously hot venue (the Arcade Fire lost half their collective body weight here last August), a lighting guy who appeared to be asleep and a sound guy who thought that bass was something you used to drown out tunes with, and the signs weren't good. Cue the band…
Gomez hit the stage and launch immediately into opener "Shot Shot". This is probably the most natural set-opener in the band's repertoire; they've got it sounding unbelievably tight and know how to milk the pauses between the verses to perfection. The poor sound doesn't match the great performance, however. Everything seems slightly "off", as if the music is half a step behind the visual. Second track "Bring It On" suffers from the same problems. I'm beginning to think this is going to be a disappointing night. Suddenly, there's a moment of divine intervention (or a moment of sound guy-smacking) and everything clicks into place. The closing riff of "Bring It On" kicks in and the band romps through the last two minutes as if on a 6 man mission to get the entire place moving. Any doubts about whether or not they managed it are immediately banished by crowd favourite "Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone". This funky number is one of the best-received songs of the night, and draws the whole place in after the slight wonkiness of the first couple of tracks. From hereon out the show is simply stunning. "Nothing Is Wrong", the only track played from "Split The Difference" has a drum intro that has to be seen to be believed, and a jaunty little piano interlude in the middle from guitarist/vocalist Tom Gray. "Ping One Down" has a bassline to die for and is punctuated with a fevered jam in the middle for another set highlight. At this point, you'll have to forgive me if I don't list every nuance of the live versions as opposed to the studio ones; chronicling the whole lot would take days. Suffice to say, every single song, without exception, sounds better live than on record. Gomez seems to view the recorded versions as foundations upon which to add countless new riffs and melodies, which is great news for anyone hearing material live for the first time.
Speaking of which, what about the new stuff? With my initial cynicism completely evaporated and replaced by a mixture of joy and mild embarrassment at my lack of faith, I was eager to hear how the new songs stacked up to their studio counterparts. Things start gently, with "See The World" not sounding drastically different to the album version, which had made little impression upon me on first listen. "All Too Much", however, sounds a hundred times better live than I remembered. The chorus suddenly becomes huge and the band seems to be playing as if their very lives depend on it. Fantastic stuff, and that chorus ("Tell us what's your secret/Have you got something to hide?/If giving up's so easy/Why do you even try?") will sound great at the festivals this summer. "Girlshapedlovedrug" is knockabout pop at its finest, sounding even more jaunty and downright fun live than it does on "How We Operate", which is some feat. "Hamoa Beach" almost takes the award for best new track of the night; another great bassline here and nice vocals from Ian Ball (who dedicated the track to his grandfather, present in the crowd tonight). Even fans unfamiliar with the new album (which is most of them) get into this one. The undisputed highlight of the new material, however, is latest single "How We Operate". Not content with doing a splendid job of recreating the album version, the band close the track with an intense jam that leaves me (and most of the rest of the crowd) stunned. Olly pulls out an amazing drum solo, and even breaks a stick at one point. Just when you think you've seen it all from Gomez, they pull out something new and amazing in the blink of an eye.
This, however, doesn't necessarily have to be a brand new song. One of the greatest moments of the evening is the airing of the rarely-played "Ruff Stuff", from "In Our Gun". Relying heavily on electronics, the track gets a great response from the crowd. The three man chorus looks fantastic on stage, with Ian, Tom and Ben Otwell standing side-by-side and delivering their lines in order from right to left, making for a great visual. Continuing the electronic theme, the band also breaks out the synth-heavy "Detroit Swing '66". The crowd is completely into this one, resulting in a huge singalong at the end. Finally, "Devil Will Ride" is a great way to finish the main set; a firm favourite that really gets everybody grooving.
For the encore, we're first treated to gentle new number "Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol". Although impressive live, a lot of the crowd hasn't heard it before, and would have preferred something more familiar in this spot. Any complaints are kept to a minimum, however, as the band follow this up with old favourite "Make No Sound". Ridiculously well-received, this version sounds slightly more upbeat than previous tours, and Ben's vocals are as amazing as ever. The gravel-voiced frontman proves to be the star of the show with this tender yet powerful performance. Tom makes a late run for this title with his performance on "Fill My Cup", however. Heavier and more brutal than the album version (found on "Liquid Skin"), the chorus here is a wake-up call for anyone feeling the effects of a near 2-hour set. Final number "Whippin' Piccadilly" is as fantastic as ever; the band must be able to do this with their eyes closed by now. Another great performance from Tom, who whips the crowd up into a frenzy. A fittingly joyous and celebratory end to a fantastic set.
The 411: Overall, the show was a good as I’ve ever seen from Gomez. They played a set full of surprises, consisting mainly of tracks from lesser-known album “In Our Gun”, which was good news for the crowd, who greeted each one with delight. Despite omitting classics like “Tijuana Lady”, “’78 Stone Wobble” and “Get Myself Arrested”, the band pulled out all the stops and nobody went home disappointed. Ian and Tom kept the fans entertained with their between-songs banter, and the entire band looked as though they were having the time of their lives. Also, consider me well and truly put in my place about the new stuff; it’s less laid-back and much more energetic live than it is on record. Two thumbs way, way up for a band that has a legitimate claim to being the best live act to come out of Britain in the last decade.
