We all have a list of bands and artists that we have been meaning to get thoroughly into and just have not yet found the time for, and I'll admit, Gomez is on mine. For a number of years now I've had more than a few friends recommend their music to me and I have not got around to giving them a good listen to. Given that Gomez has not only consistently toured Australia, but has time and again returned to Adelaide, I thought it only fair that I roll on down to the Gov' on Saturday night and give them a listen.
The night began with Adelaide boys Leader Cheetah, who looked not unlike Jet with untamed beards and a long hair. The Cheetah both massaged the audience and pulverised the stage at various moments of their set. The lads were pretty effective in getting the crowd going, and with the large void left in the Australian music scene by the departure of Powderfinger, it is not hard to imagine these boys taking a more prominent fixture on the Australian musical landscape in years to come, given their similar style and versatility.
A beautiful female-vocalist cover of ‘Whippin' Piccadilly’ played to open the set just as Gomez walked out on stage. Each of the band members were dressed refreshingly normally. Judging by the way the band looked as they came out, they're not out to impress anyone with their attire, and to be honest, this wasn’t bad to see. Gomez make their statement with their music. They jumped straight into their set as they walked out and moved seamlessly between singers and instruments.
After about half a dozen songs I was feeling like the band was simply going through the motions, and I guess this just showed my ignorance. The song that played next was 'Get Myself Arrested' which took the show effortlessly to another level. Gomez in performance may appear to be in second gear, but they're just very comfortable live, and can put on a great show very naturally.
Although they have just released a new album, there weren't many new tunes played. They went through the back-catalogue which was appropriate given the age-diverse of the crowd. There were many there that would have been into Gomez back in the early 90's who would have enjoyed seeing the band perform some older tunes.
Probably the highlight was 'Sweet Virginia', which had some pretty epic solos. The way the performance ebbed and flowed was truly professional, and the years of experience showed. Gomez are not only professional, but also a lot of fun on stage. The band is smiling and laughing most of the time, and their relaxed attitude is quite striking in the modern music scene. It is great to see a well-established band not take themselves very seriously after many years of performing, and put on a great show for loyal fans. To start with, I thought maybe Gomez were past their best, but it just took them a little to really get into top gear and deliver a fun, entertaining show. If you missed them on this tour, you probably don't need to worry. Gomez have toured Australia for years and you can rest assured, with the reception they received at this gig at least, they'll be back sometime soon.
