Gomez / Fink

Fink, a.k.a. Finian Greenhall, has moved on from his original trip-hop chillout sound that graced his debut record on Ninja Tune 'Fresh Produce' back in 2001. Now an accomplished guitar player with a John Martyn style of guitar picking, he drifts back and forth from folk to blues whilst his voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley.Giving us hints of his new album 'Sort Of Revolution', due out in May, and also the groovy 'Blueberry Pancakes' about The Hollybush pub, it is set-closer, the bluesy number 'Sorry I'm Late' from 2006's 'Biscuits For Breakfast', which draws the biggest reaction from the crowd with it's introduction, "This is about taking drugs before going to work".

"...I need a line, who doesn't need a line these days, coz I'm tired of romancing, and I just wanna keep dancing with snow white..."

If you believed everything you read in today's music press you could be mistaken for thinking that whilst Gomez are reasonably successful in the US there is little interest for them back in their homeland. Sure, their album sales don't point to a huge following for them in the UK but tonight, here in Bristol, there is a good turnout and a great reception for the bands arrival on stage.

Opening up with recent single 'Airstream Driver', the band quickly got into their rhythm with their usual on stage bounce. It's been 11 years since their debut album 'Bring It On' won the Mercury Music Prize, and that particular award has been an albatross wrapped around their shoulders ever since with the band never quite replicating the original feel of that debut. However, on the live circuit the band continue to go from strength to strength freshening up their sets with tracks from the new album 'A New Tide' whilst incorporating a strong selection of songs from their previous 5 records.



The band still may look like students, and they still seem to be enjoying themselves whilst performing, with Tom Gray (one of the 3 front men in the 5-piece) always the one to gee up the crowd and never without a smile on his face. Vocal duties swap between Gray, Ben Ottewell and Ian Bell, but it is Ottewell's trademark gruff bluesy vocals that have become synonymous with the sound of Gomez over the years, and it's with songs like 'See The World', 'Tijuana Lady' and 'Make No Sound' that his vocal strengths are shown off to the maximum, although he is happy for the Bristol crowd to take over for the refrain "...Said to her there's beauty, but all she sees is pain...".

Classic tracks 'Whippin' Piccadilly' and 'Rhythm & Blues Alibi' make early showings, and tracks from 'A New Tide' fit in well, especially 'If I Ask You Nicely' and 'Little Pieces'. On new track 'Win Park Slope' the theme that is present in the whole new album is at it's most prevalent, it seems that the band is coming to terms with life as Gomez since the early days when so much success was promised for them, and they no longer seem to feel the need to please the critics and are happy to enjoy themselves again.

"...Welcome into the new way, and I guess it's been 10 years, you gotta try to remember the way to the top..."

A great rendition of 'Ping One Down' closes the main set before an encore that includes a lovely 'Revolutionary Kind' and the beefed-up and psyched-out closer 'How We Operate'. The crowd left seemingly satisfied, but perhaps with one omission noted by several members of the crowd that seem to point out the problems facing Gomez in the UK... "Play Get Myself Arrested" was cried out, but to no avail. A Band still trying to move on from that much-loved debut, but a band still putting on a great show.

FUTURE GIGS

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