Old Blue Last, London (03/11/09)

There’s something heart-warming when you sense the lack of arrogance in a new band. Brash, bold front men are all well and good, but it can often take a special kind of innocence for an audience to really warm to inexperienced young outfits. Fitting this mould are the slightly cautious The Good Gods, though it’s hard to see why they might doubt themselves, for Tom, David and Edward are clearly far more accomplished than their withdrawn on-stage persona suggests.

The crowd at the attic-like upper floor of Old Blue Last tonight evidently expect good things from the boys, and for a blustery, cold Monday night in East London, the turnout is impressive. The audience will not be disappointed.

The Good Gods can no doubt be pigeonholed as ‘anti-folk’, but their output isn’t defined by semi-pretentious, patronising genre stereotyping. Their set kicks off tonight with a funk-laden bass-line that wouldn’t have felt out of place on the B-side of a Violent Femmes record - that is, until the unique vocals of Tom Hatred kick in (‘Hatred’ is ironic, surely, I’ve never seen a man with less visible loathing). Comparisons to Charlie Fink (Noah and the Whale), Jarvis Cocker (that conversational ‘talky’ tone), David Bowie and even Mungo Jerry spring to mind, though all are inadequate. Hatred’s voice at times nears pitch-perfection, fluttering comfortably between a very British bass and a New York hipster falsetto, and is full of passionate personality that encourages you to take note of his every word.

The gig has been scheduled to promote the new double A-side single, available on the Games Today label, and the obvious ‘hit’ tonight is a cover of Robert Palmer’s Addicted To Love. As strong, entertaining and well-worked as this is however, it is not really representative of what the band actually has to offer (even if it is wisely balanced with Heebie Jeebies, a nice tonic to the almost misleading electro feel of the flip side).

Addicted To Love will no doubt grab the band some attention (Mr Bestival, Rob Da Bank has already deemed the song “great” and Da Bank is not wrong), though fans of the track should venture deeper and not expect more of the same.

The Good Gods are not another kooky electro band. Their brand of lyric-driven jaunty indie-folk has the much desired knack of vitalising the audience tonight as if it is the most natural thing in the world. They should not be taken for granted. A tight outfit with interesting and at times funny lyrics (“Shut up Tom, you’re no fun, just fucking run”), and three-part-entire-band harmonies (who doesn’t love a singing drummer?) point to a definite future for The Good Gods.

There is a lot of competition in a market right now for folksy bands, but the brilliant bass, unique vocals and warm-hearted nature of this trio should ensure a successful future.

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