Gig review: Gossip at The Wardrobe, Leeds

It’s easy to imagine that Gossip are the Beth Ditto show. With bright orange hair scraped into a high fake ponytail, and an unfiltered approach to banter that verges on stand up, she renders the other four people on stage invisible.

Yet her stalled solo career proves that she needs the band, who formed in Arkansas, as much as they rely on her larger-than-life presence. 2017’s Fake Sugar had its moments but it lacked the magic of her day job, and when recording its follow-up she naturally gravitated towards guitarist Nathan Howdeshell and drummer Hannah Blilie. The album ended up being this year’s Real Power, the first Gossip album since 2012.

Their extended hiatus has done nothing to diminish their reception. The 18-song set revels in a sense of joy and togetherness, with tracks being honed for the indie-rock dance floor. The band has long since perfected their blend of disco and new wave, topped off by Ditto’s soulful voice, but there are few acts who’ve done it as successfully.

The elastic bassline on Standing In The Way Of Control – the track that catapulted them from cult act into the mainstream – gets the entire venue jumping. The excitement only increases when Ditto interpolates it with lines from Dolly Parton’s 9-5.

Its success isn’t a one-off, with Heavy Cross showing a more bluesy tone and Move In The Right Direction being club ready. Their dalliances with country, especially Dimestore Diamond and Turn The Card Slowly, show they can also turn down the energy without losing emotional impact.

Ditto may proclaim her hatred of the Sex Pistols (“I just didn’t get it”) but her love of the Ramones and The Slits is evident in earlier tracks, with Jason’s Basement being rawer than their standard fare. Their new wave influences are easier to trace, particularly in Howdeshell’s guitar lines and the glacial synth played by touring member Bijoux Cone. The band are also joined by Ditto’s fiancé Teddy Kwo on bass.

The set dips around a couple of newer tracks, with Crazy Again and Give It Up For Love being disappointingly thin and glossy. Even here, however, Ditto’s charisma wins over the crowd, leading an acapella singalong during the former. It’s a common touch that means that when the show ends with a whimper, the band existing the stage while Ditto monologues, the audience are still left with a joyous conviction in the real power of music.