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The Gossip - Auckland 9th @ Kings Arms

To be perfectly honest, the show was so great for me that all I really remember was Beth, my friends and feeling happier than I’ve felt in ages. I mean, the music, yeah, obviously, but it kind of just flowed through us anyway, most of the songs so familiar from hours of listening that it almost wasn’t real that we were hearing them live. As far as I remember each song was amazing, and I am in awe that the band can play with such intensity, like playing those songs was still fresh them even after all these years and hundreds of performances. This was the first time for most New Zealanders though.

When I think about the show, I remember being completely surrounded by my best friends and feeling really safe. Unlike shows played by bands with similar fans that I’ve been to sort of recently (Peaches and Herms, Le Tigre, Sleater Kinney etc), I actually didn’t come out of the Gossip with sprained ankles and covered in bruises. I didn’t have to fight to see past aggressive drunk straight boys who pushed in immediately following my queer boy friends going to all the effort of pulling me in front. I didn’t have to fend off competitive girls who wanted to be in front at all costs, not caring if others loved the band just as much as them – nope, there was none of that at the Gossip. The show was actually just what you imagine in all your cheesiest, wildest, one-big-family kind of dreams.

Riki jumping on stage to dance with Beth to Yr Mangled Heart set it off for me. And then later, when Standing in the Way of Control was played, her dress came off, and they all got up there, like the whole Team, and the stage was packed. It was a total party, and hands reached down to pull me up, but I didn’t want a sprained ankle again haha, not like this time last year at Limp Wrist. So I stayed on the floor and danced with Katie, the band lost amongst our other friends. I loved that moment when they did “Are You That Someone?” and me and Anoulack could sing along like it was high school, and of course “Careless Whispers” made his night.

Linden said that the Kings Arms was packed all the way to the back, and that almost everyone was dancing – in the whole time I’ve gone to shows at the Kings Arms I’ve never seen that happen – and didn’t see it that night either, I was right in front, and when I turned around I only needed to look at the row behind me, look to the left and right of me.

I was overwhelmed when I saw Kathleen Hanna for the first time, but with Beth it is more like, there she is…your friend who you could be a total fucken spaz fuck up and she’d still love you! Not overwhelming so much as making you feel amazing. I’m sorry, but Kathleen was an ice queen and I never really felt the same about her after the Le Tigre show. “Go out and buy the Slits”, Beth said, “I’ll give you $20 if you buy the Slits…”

At least 2 people said to me that they though the Gossip had to happen to us then, after months of lots of my friends going through depression and heartbreak all at once, and going, what are we doing here? what is there to do? where is our stuff? And then this show broke that mood, and, I really have to say, that night the Gossip saved my life.

Posted Dec 12, 09:09 PM | By Melissa |
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