Mojo magazine pinged them as an up-and-coming band back in 1998 and for 15 years now Gomez have been delivering stellar psychedelic, pop and rock to a legion of fans.
The Hi-Fi in Sydney was jammed to the mezzanine for yet another visit by the UK mavericks, here to celebrate with what was entitled The Quinceñeara Tour. In order to make it more of a celebration and a gift to the fans in each town they played, Gomez gave them the ability to vote for the songs they wanted and Sydneysiders voted very well!
Ben Ottewell on lead guitar and vocals had his voice in high gear during the first foray into spacey rock with ‘Revolutionary Kind’ from their sophomore release, Liquid Skin. Dancing and singing were at the top of the list, with drinking following third, for this rabid Gomez audience.
Half of the setlist was comprised of songs from Liquid Skin and their first album, Bring It On, and none of those tunes have lost their shine over the years. As a matter of fact, those two albums are brilliant from start to finish (and if you have never delved into them, well don’t waste any more time).
With the vocal firepower of Ottewell, Ian Ball, and Tom Gray you get the harmonies and Gomez have the ability to take you out of the galaxy as in “Rhythm And Blues Alibi”, or back down to ol’ Mexico with “Tijuana Lady”.
With a crowd that appeared to have been with them from the start, the chorus of “Get Myself Arrested” was sung back at the band with glee, and the best part was easily when everyone tried to harmonize with the high register lyrics of, “he only grows for guys he knows and me.”
Gomez can deliver joy at a high level and they proved that time has not changed that. Olly Peacock showed that he may be one of the most underrated drummers in the business throughout the nearly two hour set as he was on fire.
Never really departing the stage for long, Gomez came back with the songs that kick off their latest album and their first. “Options”, from Whatever Is on Your Mind got the crowd jumping along and then the first song most people would have associated with the British outfit, “Get Miles”, showcased the hallucinogenic side of a band that we hope never fades away.
Let’s hope we get another 15 years of Gomez.
