Gomez, Auckland NZ, 2019

Gomez

1st November 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.

When a band has a genuine connection between its members, neither time nor distance can ever break those bonds. It’s almost rare to find now days, most groups of any significant tenure, eventually succumbing to the rigors of touring, the consistent presence of one another or just the trials and tribulations that come with growing older.

Gomez is a band that has that connection.

Despite forming over twenty years ago, and the fact that these days the members are split between the UK and the US, once Gomez step onto the stage, they are instantly shrouded in an enveloping cocoon of friendship, mutual respect and of course musical genius. It was no surprise then, that their show at Auckland’s Powerstation was sold out weeks beforehand.

Last night would prove to be rather special too, as Gomez celebrated the creation of not only their pivotal debut album Bring It On, but their sophomore offering Liquid Skin; the band promising to play both albums in full and in sequence over the course of two glorious sets. No support band was scheduled on the bill, this was an evening of pure, unadulterated Gomez.

Comprising of not one, but three vocalists along with four songwriters it is little wonder that their debut album Bring It On took home the coveted Mercury Music Prize in 1998, famously beating out such heavyweights as Massive Attack, Pulp and The Verve. That magic brought to life on stage last night as ‘Get Miles’ was quickly followed up by the instantly recognisable pop drenched guitar chords of ‘Whippin’ Piccadilly’, the audience swaying their arms in the air in time to the jaunty stroll of the beat, a stunning vase full of tulips on the edge of the stage reflecting the multifaceted colours of the song itself.

While all three vocalists – Ian Ball, Tom Gray and Ben Ottewell – are superb, their harmonisations, as demonstrated so effortlessly throughout the evening drawing the audience in, it is Ottewells’ vocals that make many of the songs of Gomez absolute diamonds; ‘Tijuana Lady’ with it’s quietly understated emotion, for a moment exquisitely holding the room as his distinctively husky vocals pushed through the veil of red stage lights, the subtle shift in the air as each line dissolved into the next sending shivers of delight cascading down the spines of those who were present. In between songs, the occasional drink was shared, smiles never far from the corners of the bands mouths as they moved about the stage under the gaze of Olly Peacock on drums.

Bring It On is an album that is consistently brilliant from beginning to end, definitive highlights of last night’s live set being the distinctively laddish feel of ‘Get Myself Arrested’ that saw Gray encourage the fans to sing louder as Gomez really strode out the groove; the band teasing the audience with multiple big flourishes of the ending before ‘Rie’s Wagon’ finished the first set with Ottewell letting loose on his guitar and pedals, the neck of his guitar cradled across his forearm as his fingers expertly drew from the strings psychedelic, distorted soundscapes that filled the venue with their presence. Ottewell instinctively leaning into his guitar as his fellow band members leaned back.

A brief interval gave one and all the chance to soak up the brilliance of what they had just witnessed, the second set seeing not just the return of the band to stage but the arrival of yet another stunning vase of flowers, these lit up with fairy lights for that little extra glamour.

Liquid Skin released just a little over a year after Bring It On, captured that same essence of their debut album; tracks such as the opening ‘Hangover’ a seemingly cobbled together song that was actually an artform in itself. From the three-way harmonies, to the sometimes simplistic but catchy riffs, Liquid Skin once again took the listener by the hand and guided them into a world of music and melody quite unlike anything else.

Crowd favourites such as ‘Revolutionary Kind’ soon melded into the underlying reggae beat of ‘Bring it On’ before the jazzy overtones of ‘Blue Moon Rising’ intoxicated those in the front rows; one of the biggest tracks of the record – thanks in part to the film American Beauty – ‘We Haven’t Turned Around’ seeing fans give themselves over wholeheartedly.

All too soon the end had arrived, both albums played in their entiriety, both Gomez and their fans looking simultaneously ecstatic yet sated. While there were no tracks left to be played, it didn’t stop the enthusiastic audience from demanding one more song, Gomez granting their wish by returning one last time – with yet another two vases of floral arrangements in tow, which were later gifted to some rather lucky fans – for a repeat performance of ‘Whippin’ Piccadilly’, the track this time given the full rock n roll treatment much to everyone’s delight and far more in keeping with the origin of the song that involves the artist Beck, a piece of string from his coat and a friend of the band who was ‘completely on one’.

One of the finest indie bands ever? Without a doubt.

Were you there at the Powerstation for this excellent indie-rock gig?  Or have you seen Gomez perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. Get Miles
2. Whippin’ Piccadilly
3. Make No Sound
4. 78 Stone Wobble
5. Tijuana Lady
6. Here Comes The Breeze
7. Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone
8. Get Myself Arrested
9. Free To Run
10. Bubble Gum Years
11. Rie’s Wagon
12. Hangover
13. Revolutionary Kind
14. Bring It On
15. Blue Moon Rising
16. Las Vegas Dealer
17. We Haven’t Turned Around
18. Fill My Cup
19. Rhythm & Blues Alibi
20. Rosalita
21. California
22. Devil Will Ride
23. Whippin Piccadilly [encore]

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