Somewhere out there, right now a label exec, a marketing manager or maybe even a music journalist is walking the streets a free man or woman when they should be in prison.
It is downright criminal that Gomez were never a huge success in the US and someone should pay. Sure over the last 20 years the band has built a rabid fanbase, continued to record and tour but a band that puts on a live show of this caliber deserves more. From the minute they walked on to the end of the encore the crowd sang along, cheered and danced while the bands three(!) lead vocalists took turns on the mic blazing through all of the band’s debut Bring it On.
This short tour is to commemorate the 20th anniversary of that album’s release which to be fair garnered a lot of press back in the day. Its mix of Beatles-like melodies, trippy psychedelia and aggressive riffs was a fresh sound just as much then as it is now. While there are three singers and songwriters, singer Ben Ottewell’s gruff voice is their sonic calling card. He sang like a man possessed while pinging back and forth between a strummed acoustic and a blistering attack on his defenseless electric guitar. In any other band, Ottewell would overwhelm the rest of his bandmates but Gomez work tightly as a unit and play to each member’s strengths. From Tom Gray on the keys to Ian Ball’s more Britpop influenced songs the audience didn’t seem to have a favorite as every song was as good as the last.
Be sure to check them out while you can. Meanwhile please call your authorities if you see any 90’s era A&R men on the streets. We will have justice!
Check out the highlights below:
