Guillemots / DIBIDIM

I have a confession to make. In fact I have many. When I was 15 I stole a glance into the girl’s changing rooms at school and no-one found out. But in the interests of relevance, I’ll stick to those which involve music.

Confession number 1: I like the Guillemots. I know you probably don’t. You’ll probably say they are “trying too hard” or that they “lack any real substance”. I disagree. In an age when indie bands are being churned out with farcically embarrassing regularity, Guillemots stand apart from the new wave scene and produce a unique brand of music that is simultaneously bold and subtle and unashamedly different.

	"Guillemots stand apart from the new wave scene and produce a unique brand of music that is simultaneously bold and subtle and unashamedly different."

But then again it was never going to be conventional. Put a classically trained pianist with a Canadian double bassist, a guy with (and I quote) "a deranged sense of rhythm" on the drums and someone they picked up in Brazil called MC Lord Magrao and what do you get? Well, it’s a weird and wonderful eclectic mix of cultures, instruments and influences added to a giant cauldron of noise.

This cauldron was Newcastle’s Carling Academy, awash with the city’s skinny jean-clad youth, packed mullet to mullet and emanating teenage smells into the already cauldron-like atmosphere.

Confession number 2: I completely missed the name of the support act and had to ask for it at the bar after the gig had finished. I would love to blame it on the fact that they were foreign, but it would be closer to the truth to suggest that I just wasn‘t paying attention. But before I get sacked for incompetence I must point out why. They were boring. Not just a little dull, but sleep-enticingly tedious.

Merging influences from much of the commercialised scandinavian music scene with electro and trance never struck me as a good idea. And now I see why. It sounds crap. For any of you that do believe it sounds like a good idea, the band’s name is DIBIDIM (exactly) and apparently they are quite big in Norway, which incidentally is where I suggest you should go if it does.

One benefit that did come out of the support act however is that it showed the diversity of Guillemots’ sound in that it is so varied that it can be grouped with genres of music from completely opposite ends of the musical spectrum.

Guillemots came onto the stage a little before 10pm and right from the start they showed what they are all about. You very much get the impression that they want to take a gig to another level, almost towards a theatrical performance with a soundtrack in the background as they dance around the stage.

Opening with an atmospheric rendition of ‘Through The Window Pane’ they set the standard for the rest of the gig. Dangerfield’s voice is one of a unique brand that really seems to add another instrument to the band. Moving through the set, you cannot help but feel a great deal of tenderness towards him. It’s hard not to like him as he throws his floppy hair around and mumbles awkwardly in between songs. As one of my friends said, "he has the friendliest face I have ever seen".

Moving on through ‘Go Away’, ‘Made Up Love Song #43’ and, several songs later ‘Annie Let’s Not Wait’, it is clear that this band thrive on the stage. Not only in terms of visual entertainment, but also through their live music which is a sweeping, uplifting wall of sound that more than does justice to the recorded version. This is added to by cameo performances from a number of instruments including a typewriter, a theremin and a beat boxing solo by drummer Stewart. Where else in the world do you get all three together?

Perhaps the best thing about The Guillemots is the fact that they are so unpredictable. They never play their songs the same way as the night before which means that watching their gigs doesn’t necessarily throw up the same old routine. They seem to pride themselves on this and it shows through as a fresh performance on their part.

This particular gig throws up a lot of new material outside the album and the EP which suggests Guillemots are keen to move on from the success of a Brit nomination to continue to develop. It is a mixed bag that demonstrates Dangerfield’s ability to produce high quality songs on a regular basis.

‘Words’ is a beautifully emotional piece which contrasts greatly with ‘She’s Evil’, an electro-rock piece containing darker lyrics such as "Now I know who f***s with my mind." All this goes to suggest that Guillemots are still developing their style to an even more diverse.

The night was clearly building to the climax of ‘Trains To Brazil’ and the crowd erupted into a frenzy as the drums kicked into the beginning and finishing with ‘Sao Paulo’, which mimicked the course of the gig as it built up to the Latin American drum beat of Stewart’s percussion and Dangerfield’s soaring lyrics "Thrown across the water like a stone".

This leads me to confession number 3: This is the fourth time I’ve seen Guillemots, and I was captivated by every second. That is the biggest accolade I could give a band.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.