Ditto revels in ‘homecoming’ as she leads band on nostalgic romp
DRAWING on the DIY spirit and feminist messaging of their Riot Grrrl forebears, Gossip might have blended in back home in Washington. But in the UK they’ve always been a welcome anomaly, as unlikely stars of the mid-2000s new rave movement.
Even now, Beth Ditto’s band remain a far bigger deal in Britain than they are back home, lending the London leg of their reunion tour a jubilant, homecoming feel.
Touring to mark the 10th anniversary of their fourth album, Music For Men, the dance-punk group closed Somerset House’s Summer Series in suitably nostalgic fashion, romping through the record’s key tracks. Deep cuts were despatched with as much conviction as the big singles and an incendiary rendition of 8th Wonder was every bit as potent as Love Long Distance or Heavy Cross.
The majority of Gossip’s appeal is down to Ditto. Whether shimmying across the stage, sharing selfdeprecating quips or identifying loyal fans in the audience by name, the frontwoman remains an immensely likeable band leader. A fan first and foremost, she communicated the breadth and depth of her passion for music via a variety of covers, including reworkings of George Michael’s Careless Whisper and Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody?
It’s difficult to shake the thought that it’s this humility and complete lack of careerism that has ultimately hindered the band’s progress back home. Indeed, as Ditto herself admitted during the encore, “This would never have happened in America: you changed our lives for the absolute better.”
Yet, judging by the vim with which they despatch antiauthority anthem Standing In The Way Of Control at the end of the set, not only do Gossip cherish their status as industry outliers, but given the choice they wouldn’t have it any other way.