Live Review

Gogol Bordello – Hammersmith Apollo, London

• 11th May 2010

In the days and hours leading up to a Gogol Bordello gig, a very strange thing happens. I start drumming unstoppably on poles on the Tube to rhythms in my head and get unquenchable urges to dance along the street with unsuspecting buisnessmen. The anticipation of the dance-fest which is inevitably to follow is almost as exciting as the main event itself. So when the lights dimmed at the almost packed-out Hammersmith Apollo and jaunty folk guitar echoed around the auditorium from some unseen location, it is fair to say I was just about on the verge of a heart attack.

What a shame then, that when the lights came up and the rest of the instruments kicked in, far from elation the emotion at the forefront of my mind was excruciation. The sound being blasted unforgivingly out of the incredibly poorly distributed speakers was enough to reduce a cat on heat to tears. The usually dynamic, crisply defined violin, bass, percussion and vocals which characterize Gogol Bordello’s sound were so distorted and bashed about by the sound system that the songs were barely recognizable.

The band ploughed on bravely, with Hutz giving it his all and twice coming close to knocking out a stage technician with his characteristcly expressive, manic dancing. Sergey Ryabtsev trotted about nimbly with his faithful violin but even their undeniable skill and passion was not enough to subdue the sound technicians in their mission to create the most fantasitc mish-mash of pure noise ever known to man (at least in the past week or so…).

Additionally, for Gogol Bordello, a band which prides itself on its intimacy and involvement with the audience, the vast, multi-layered expanse of the Hammersmith Apollo just didn’t work. That is not to say that they can’t play to a sizable audience (with their musical prowess and infectious passion, they could have played the Sermon on the Mount with little trouble), just that from the sunny heights of the upper circle, the minutiae which make Gogol Bordello’s live performances so spectacular were wasted and we might just as well have been listening to an incredibly poor quality live recording.

Nonetheless, the crowd was determined to have a good time and received each song – old or new – with enthusiasm and excitement, something which is characteristic of Gogol Bordello’s fans, who never fail to impress with their dedication and commitment to the Gypsy-Punk Cause.