I’m really mining a 90’s indie pop seam at the moment; after Britpop roustabouts Sleeper and Rialto last time out, here’s a welcome return to my Dance Card for Boston MA college pop/ dreampop faves Belly! I’d seen them 5 times back in the day, as main inspiration Tanya Donelly split from her half-sister Kristen Hersh’s band Throwing Muses in order to form Belly as a vehicle for her smoother and less jagged, yet still quirky and off-kilter material, and a further 3 times since their mid-20teens reunion, including of course on that stellar ACLU Benefit bill in their adopted hometown back in 2017 (gig 1,028). They’d not crossed the pond since Covid, however, and this tour also represented a 30th Anniversary Celebration of their sophomore and final first-time-round album, “King”, which introduced a harder-edged, rockier and more dissonant element to their aural candyfloss, courtesy primarily of the rock stylings of Gail Greenwood. I’d seen “GFG”, as the Boston rock illuminati know her, putting in a stellar, typically low-slung shift with the Gang Of Four on my 60th birthday in June (gig 1,393, probably my favourite gig of the year to date) so I knew she was in good form, so let’s hope Tanya and the Gorman boys are as up for it as well…
Rach joined us for an early trip down the M4; advertised as “An Evening With Belly”, there was no support and a prompt 8 p.m. start for the first of 2 sets, so we parked up in a loading bay on Old Market Street (OK at this time!) and joined a long queue about 7.30. Into this evocative old church venue and the first surprise of the night, with Gang Of Four’s esteemed vocalist Jon King there! Grabbed a pic and a word with the great man, as I was sporting a GO4 tee too! Evening made, and we’re not even properly in the venue! Got a drink for Rach and found a decent viewing spot a few rows back, house left, for Belly’s entrance prompt at 8 under heavy purple lights. Immediately the dichotomy of this band was apparent, with a soft, “hello…” from the demure and understated vocalist Tanya, and GFG immediately taking on the role of rabble rouser with a forceful, “yeah, whassup Bristol!!” Straight into opener “Puberty”, the tumbling drum opening ceding to the dreamy verse and some powerful off-mic choral work from Tanya. “Welcome to “King”’s 30th Anniversary!” announced Gail at its conclusion, alluding to some health issues with, “it’s like an infirmary up here!”
It became apparent that this wasn’t a throwaway comment; Tanya’s mid-range vocals often sounded a little flat and the sound and overall mix was often a little ragged and muddy, a post-gig chat with Dave (Gail’s friend whom I’d met at the front at that GO4 gig, and who was following the tour around, Bristol being his 6th (!) tour gig) revealing the band were suffering from colds. Nonetheless, they powered through, delivering a determined and purposeful performance, and Tanya’s high-register vocals were largely spot-on. And the ebullient, kinetic Gail was the visual focus, announcing, “Tanya and I are like rotisserie hot dogs up here [under the lights]!”, giving a shout out to Gang Of Four (“the greatest band in the history of rock’n’roll!”) and challenging the sound guys to give, “a little more love in the monitors!” The first set, a “King” chronological run-through, raced by, with the gallop of “Seal My Fate” and raw, ragged and even punkish “Superconnected” early highlights, the smooth harmonies of a later “Now They’ll Sleep” the best-sounding number to that point, but the closing, eerie slow-burn of “Judas My Heart”, ultimately my first set highlight.
I’d
spotted my Bristol friend Keeley just in front of us during the interval; she came
over for a chat and joined us for a better sounding set 2. “I know it’s a douchebag
move to open for yourself, but what the fuck, right?” queried Gail before the
haunting, red-backlit beetle-crushing stomp of “Low Red Moon”. An early
“Gepetto” was a lovely, lush and layered swayalong; the subsequent “Slow Dog”
with its’ dramatic descent into the thunderous and strident choral hook, was
startling; and the equally venerable “Dusted” (preceded by a seemingly lengthy
bass exploration by Gail for the brown note (!)) was a breathless punkish
blast. But “Feed The Tree”, inevitably, was the upbeat set high point, this archetype
90’s college alt-pop number turning into a rousing singalong. The loose, almost
Madchester baggy vibe of “Shiny One” segued into a moody, darker cover of
Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced” to close out the set, the band returning for
some well-received vocal gymnastics from Tanya on the off-kilter “Fully Moon,
Empty Heart”.
Another ridiculously easy list, a brief chat about the Shiela Divine with drummer Chris Gorman, then farewells to Keeley and a quick drive back, home just after 11. So overall, despite a few medical (and slight sound) issues, Belly delivered a fine, slightly ragged but well-rocking night out for Rach and myself!
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