Thursday saw a vastly bigger turnout than Gossip ’s 2005 Perth show, due both to the phenomenal success of their single Standing in the Way of Control, and to the increasing iconic status of front woman Beth Ditto. Feminist and lesbian icon, regular columnist in the Guardian bestowing her southern sage on a grateful public, and crowned 2006’s Coolest Person in Rock by terminally hyperbolic publication NME, Ditto is legendary.
It was obvious from early on that this would be a show dominated by big personalities. Sabre Tooth Tigers took to the stage first, and singer/drummer Chris Cobilis managed to win over the crowd with his on-stage antics (although the use of an applause track certainly helped too). Air-drumming, prowling the stage, swilling beer (and occasionally sitting behind his drum kit to play and sing), Cobilis kept the crowd entertained as the band played songs from their self-released album Never Give Up.
By the time Gossip took to the stage, Capitol had filled considerably and expectations were high. Ditto has a reputation for putting on a good show, and it’s not hard to see why. She single-handedly carried the show with her incredible voice and stage presence. While guitarist Brace Paine and drummer Hannah Blilie were competent in their performances, the production of the Gossip albums hides the sparse instrumentation that became apparent in the live setting. This didn’t seem to bother the crowd, who were eating out of Ditto’s hand (quite literally after she somewhat bizarrely handed out some gherkins during the encore), and danced their way through tacks off all three of Gossip’s studio albums. At one stage, Ditto donated her shoes to an audience member for her to sell on eBay to help fund her wedding – a move which further won over the crowd.
Predictably, Standing in the Way of Control was the best received song of the night, although it was given a run for its money by between song karaoke-esque renditions of Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got to Do With it? and Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer.
Finishing the show with a cover of George Michael’s Careless Whisper, mostly sung from in the crowd, Gossip left the audience satisfied. While it may not have been the greatest whole band performance, Ditto’s charismatic on-stage persona, her between song banter and impromptu karaoke performances and natural down-to-earth interaction with the audience made for a memorable night.
