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### Dingwalls. Camden Town. 28 Mag 1998

Like I said, I've never reviewed a gig before so bear with me and you have to bear with me a long time as this turned out a bit longer than I'd originally planned, but clearly it is all quality journalism and has been edited to the maximum. Nothing is in any
way superfluous. At 9. 30 on came Melys, and the sight of Andrea miraculously made Rich's ailing knee, which he claimed required him to sit down at the side for the support band and leave me on my own at the front looking like I had no mates, better. Funny that, the way the slit in her teeny skirt moved all the way from the side right round to the front not playing any part in it at all I'm sure. They weren't on for very long which was disappointing but everything they played was fantastic. Sadly, rude people (of whom I wasn't but of whom I'm very embarrassed about (I never did master fully the different usages of who and whom so I figured if I used it twice one of them may be right)) talked all the way through their set, which became extremely embarrassing in the quiet bits as Andrea was disclosing intimately personal lyrics. Her voice is beautiful. There's no other word for it. It is fairly quiet but very strong and really ensnares the listener. The band seemed genuinely pleased and excited about performing which was really nice as it came across in the things they were saying in between songs, and the thankyou, thankyous were obviously real. I admire them for playing what they played and for singing what they sang in such a totally audible manner. If I were them I would feel incredibly scared and vulnerable; of being on a stage in the first place, but for singing such devastatingly revealing things in public, like the current single "Lemming" which tells of being pushed rather than obliviously going over the edge, and "Let Yourself Scream" which describes a nasty breakup. 'Nuff respect, as my brother would've put it whilst going through his wanker phase which he isn't entirely out of. At the very end of their set Paul and Andrea both took to playing keyboards as well as Carys and then Paul swapped again, this time for a little guitarry thing which I don't know the name of, not being musically + gifted, which made strange noises and then when the song hadn't even finished he threw it down on the floor in a very pissed off manner and stomped off stage followed by Andrea whilst Gary and Carys finished off. Had style though, even if it was a bit irate.

Gorky's came on at about ten o' clock. I'd been waiting for
this moment for ages and ages. I can't remember when the last time I saw them was, but I think it was in Gloucester sometime when I had just finished school as I remember being pathetically chuffed that they sang "... and we aint got school in the morning baby, yeah yeah yeah" as I didn't, but such are the vagaries of youth. So, to say the anticipation was humongous is an under statement, I was in major withdrawal. I was also desperate to hear "Sweet Johnny," and before you indignantly exclaim 'but it was released on Monday, that's a full four days previously. Call yourself a fan. Pah.' I was in Tudweiliog in my Gran's caravan and she was of the opinion that Morfa Nefyn, the nearest large (well sort of), town wouldn't have it for sale anywhere and as I can't drive I couldn't go and check just inca se.
But I digress.... "Sweet Johnny." Loved it. Especially the 'I'm gonna get my daddy's car and knock the fuckers down' bit and the way it has a major spazz out section that anyone else, like say my friend Joel's band (who you'll hear more of later), or Urusei would end on, was just a middle bit and they brought it all back into a nice tune that my mother would listen to without turning down, or off. They also played a lot of new stuff off their forthcoming album. Yes, that's right a new album.
I can't wait. I can hardly contain my excitement. They opened with one called "Tidal Wave" which was brilliant, and you really knew (oh alright, I'm talking about myself) Gorky's were back when Euros started waggling his head and jumping around in a frenzied manner. I couldn't help grinning. I can't remember the set order or every song that they played (as yet again I failed in my pursuit of a set list. Eight times I've seen them, or that quite possibly was the ninth, and I've still never managed to get one home. I did once have hold of one but some drunk, fat girl physically ripped it out of my hand and she was bigger than me and had big friends by her, and I'm feeble, and I'm also not rude like that. But I'm not at all bitter. Oh no.) They did however, definitely play the following, not in this order and Beth Orton was in the audience:

- Patio song (which got all the predictable waaaays, like it's their first song, parallels with A Design For Life are strangely springing to mind)
- SunMoonStar
- Blood Chant (first song of the encore)
- Heywood Lane (which I think is my favourite song on "Barafundle").
- Catrin
- Heart of Kentucky
- Dark Night
- Merched Yn Neud Gwallt Eu Gilydd (2nd song of the encore)
- Meirion Wylit

and lots of others that I can't think of off hand, but no Miss Trudy's or Lucy's Hampers or Ice Cream Man which I haven't heard in ages. And predictably some twat yelled "Peanut Dispenser It's not even the best song on "Patio".
I don't know if Gorky's are plagued by this occurrence at every gig or if it is just a West country/ London phenomenon. Which ever, I wish they would stop it. And it's pointless yelling out titles anyway because they just play what it says on their set lists, or at least they have at every one I've been to. They played one new one which I didn't catch the name of that was particularly incredible. The chorus went "you cut to my skin/ you cut to my blood".
It was amazing.
It almost made me want to cry it was so perfect. It reminded me a bit of a song called "Too Many Colours" by Aleka's Attic (and for all you people out there who don't share in my level of River Phoenix obsession they were his band, and it can be heard on My Own' Private Idaho in the background of the scene where Mike is arguing with his brother/ dad as to his true paternity.)
Gorky's are so good I want to bring my family. I have tried to convince my Gran before seeing as they were playing near her in the Swallow Falls Hotel in Betws Y Coed a while ago. She informed me of this fact, saying "Oh, I noticed the other day that your friends are playing down the road from here soon." It took me a while to work out who she meant.
My friends.
I wish.

They are just so nice though. They let Melys use their drum kit and Euros dedicated the last song to them and thanked them for being such a good support band. Bless. That's almost as sweet as the woman in John Lewis who put a note in the packaging of a skirt my mum ordered saying "I hope you have a nice 25th wedding anniversary." Euros has previously shown his gentility (didn't do the Wife Of Bath for nothing at 'A'- Level) on a number of occasions, like when he gave me and my friends boiled lollies after a gig in Leicester; admittedly he was ver ver drunk, but that's beside the point. He wasn't when I saw them at the Fleece and Firkin in Bristol a couple of Halloween's ago where he swept his hand around behind him when I went backstage (to get their autographs, and yes I know I'm a sad groupie) and said 'help yourself' to a table full of cans of lager and fruit so I had an apple and very nice it was too. I could now slip into recounting you pathetic stories of the occasions where I have spoken to them, and I probably will later on sometime, but I will make a last ditch attempt at keeping this more Dingwalls review orientated.
So, they got to their last song, and the reason for the note tapped by Euros' set list was still not clear. It said something along the lines of "I can't be with her I need to be with her" although it was obviously something infinitely more poetic than that. They played the song for Melys and walked off stage and everyone clapped loads including the highly irritating girl who had been gyrating with my back drunkenly all evening and waving her arm about in front of my face in a I Am Too Pissed To See That I Am Making You Want To Punch Me type manner, and everyone shouted encore encore encore and after a bit Gorky's came back on like the true troopers that they are and played two more songs as already specified above and then left the stage and Mr. Sound Man waved his torch and the lights and the rubbish music came back on and the reason for the note was still a mystery. All that was left was to push our way outside into the cold where we were given a free copy of that week's Melody Maker and me and Rich discovered the Manics are back touring again in September and all was right with the world.
...and here are some exclusive photos of the band. I apologise for my extremely poor photographic skills

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