Gossip at Liverpool’s Olympia review: Grand, gay and gagged (literally)
As a teenager, Gossip were the backing track not only to my MySpace page but also most of my mischief.
Now, on a rainy Sunday night in Liverpool I get to see Ms. Ditto in the flesh for the very first time. Engulfed in a sea of sequins, winged liner and leopard print I feel like the band would approve of the woman they raised.
Gossip, consisting of five members, one equipped with a ball gag (obviously) enter the stage, it might be miserable outside but there is nothing glum about tonight’s gig at Liverpool’s grand Olympia theatre. I know my expectations (that are as high as Beth’s ponytail) are about to be met.
Our southern mama shouts out a few familiar faces in attendance including her Stoke-On-Trent born family, her ex-housemate Amy and some sweet fans she met earlier in the night, before belting out her first note and starting the set. The show begins with cult classic ‘Listen Up!’ from the band’s 2006 album Standing in The Way of Control.
A 6’6 male to the left me exclaims, in the thickest Scouse accent you’ve ever heard, may I add… “Cracking set of pipes, like” and the show is well and truly underway.
We are treated to a 14-song set by Ms. Ditto and the band consisting of indie staples such as ‘Heavy Cross’, as well new songs like ‘Act of God’ from the bands 2024 album ‘Real Power’.
Beth fixes her Accessorise earrings in between songs while doting on us with a quote from Kendrick Lamar: “We love the weirdos – the good ones”.
She also calls out a misbehaving fan by telling them, in her glorious no-bullshit fashion “This is my room; don’t fuck with me”, whips her ponytail as she does so and continues with the show. The whole band are electric and visibly excited to be performing together, but most of all… they seem to be having FUN – and it radiates throughout the entire set.
We then have an outfit change before a four-song encore including everyone’s favourite ‘Standing in The Way of Control’, with Beth and co topping the show with a cover of the mighty Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. Which, we did.
Everything a Gossip fan could possibly want, they gave us. The indie sleaze band from Arkansas that raised a generation to be authentically themselves showed the ‘Capital City of Pop’ what they’re all about and we LOVED it. If Gossip have no fans, we are dead.
Gossip will continue their UK tour in Glasgow on 3 September and Leeds on 5 September. Tickets are available here.
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