Wow, how to sum that up with something as wholly inadequate as words…!
Gigolo Aunts were undoubtedly my 1990s musical obsession, and still remain one of my all-time favourite bands. I was utterly blown away by their irresistibly melodic and harmonic guitar-propelled, grunge-tinged powerpop set opening up the Reading Festival Saturday main stage in 1993 (gig 248), marching straight over to the merch stand on its conclusion to buy a GA tee, which I still own to this day. On subsequently picking up their “Full On Bloom” EP, I then discovered this Boston-out-of-Potsdam 4-piece had referenced another all-time fave of mine, the Hub’s late 80’s indie heroes Big Dipper, in one of their songs. I confronted them with that knowledge later that year in Kidderminster (gig 253) and boom! instant and enduring friendships were forged. Between that Reading appearance and their final supporting date on The Wonder Stuff’s “Idiot Manoeuvres” tour, I saw them 7 times in the space of 9 months, before record company wranglings and personnel changes forced a 5-year hiatus. Four more shows in 1999, in the UK and US and in support of the mellower “Minor Chords And Major Themes” album, seemed sadly to cap my Gigolo Aunts “live” experiences, the boys thereafter winding down and variously disappearing to day jobs in the States, with only the occasional date or two down the years, usually in Spain where, inexplicably, the fire still burned for them, or in the US (my usually finding out about these shows after the fact). Until…
Thirty years after those halcyon 90’s days (and barely 12 months after they’d announced some US East coast dates in support of fellow Bostonians Letters To Cleo’s usual Thanksgiving homestand, gigs I would definitely have flown over to see, were it not for the clashing – and already booked – “Shiiine On”), the Honey-Throated Boys of Summer announced a “farewell tour”, one seemingly final shlep around their second home Spain, original line-up and all...! Discussions were had in the Rose household, my dear lady wife’s views on the subject essentially being, “so which one are you going to then?” and “give [Aunts guitarist, and friend we met up with on our 2005 LA honeymoon] Phil Hurley a hug from me!” Time and finances dictated that a single fly-in to Barcelona was my best bet, so bird, hotel and (unnecessary, as it turned out) gig tickets were duly booked for a proper and long overdue gig adventure!
Which started Monday evening… I drove down in nasty fog/ rain to our friend Sarah’s place, 10 minutes from Bristol airport, stayed there overnight, then she kindly drove me to the airport, a prompt and on-time morning flight getting me into Barca early afternoon. A quick navigation of the metro got me to my hotel, whereafter, showered and ready, I headed up the hill to the gig about 4. My hotel was a 10-minute walk from the venue, but nobody mentioned said walk was practically vertical! The venue itself was in the corner of “Poble Espanyol”, an enclosed square of museums and artisan shops (plus a beer festival today!) which I had to pay 15 euros to get into. Bah! Wandered around the square then settled down by the venue next to Junko, legendary fellow 90’s Aunts fan, who’d flown from Japan for this tour! Yikes! Puts my little hop over to shame…! Still, we compared notes until ¼ to 6, when Phil texted, saying they’d just arrived but the front door was padlocked, so we wandered round to the back! Vocalist Dave Gibbs helped us up the rather large step into backstage, hugging us both like long-lost friends, and we also greeted the rest of the band, including my giving Phil an extra hug as instructed by the missus! The years (over 30, in the case of original drummer Paul Brouwer, whom I’d not seen since those Stuffies support days) fell away as I hung out and caught up with this absolutely lovely band of gentlemen, also being introduced to the extra touring “Aunt” Alex Vangellow, apparently the owner of the Potsdam NY music store that the nascent Aunts used to hang out in!
Wandered
into the venue itself to watch the boys soundcheck (Phil giving us a snatch of
“Birdbrain” in honour of my Buffalo Tom t-shirt), introducing myself to Phil’s
pregnant wife Carrie, who’d just flown in earlier today as well! More chat and
pics afterwards, then I grabbed a pulled pork roll from the galley as the late
(8.30) door time approached, at which time the band disappeared backstage, and
Junko and I became punters, securing a front spot house left as the placed
filled up. Openers Lost Tapes were on in short order at 8.45; Dave had compared
their 80’s synthpop soundcheck to the likes of The Blue Nile and Microdisney,
but their set, once it kicked into gear from an initially very lilting,
pastoral start, had stronger shades of the Cure for me in its more
stripped-back, taut and haunting vibe, particularly mid-set highlight “Lost In
Youth”. The more robust descending riff of “Nueva” with its dreamier,
proto-goth 4AD vibe recalled Modern English, and closer “Going Home” totally
appropriated its’ hook from New Order’s “Ceremony”. A decent start, though, all
sung in English (and in very soft, mellow tones) by this local Spanish 3-piece!
Chatted to Junko and Manuel, a friendly local punter who’d flown over to the UK in the late 70’s to see The Jam (!) and who also elaborated on the popularity of Gigolo Aunts in Spain (apparently the catalyst was their cover of local song “The Girl From Yesterday”. OK, that makes sense!) to pass the time and assuage my nerves. Weirdly, I had plenty of butterflies about this one; just hoping the mix was as clear and balanced as at soundcheck, and that the band, 30 years on, could do justice to their legacy and to my fondly held memories… I needn’t have worried; Gigolo Aunts bounded onstage at 10 to 10, Dave buoyantly announcing, “Hola Barcelona! 30 years of coming to Spain, and all I know is “hola!”,” before Phil kicked into the utterly glorious sounding opening riff to the clarion call-to-arms that was opener “C’mon C’mon”. it sounded great, robust, full, clear as a bell, and with the choral hook, amazingly, already sung back by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd. Amazing start, but it then got better… oh, so much better…!
“We’re
going to play some songs you may not know,” announced Dave at the opener’s
conclusion, “like this one…” Indicating me, he continued, “He knows it! David
Rose! I promised him 33 years ago [not quite, but hey…] I’d play it and we’ve
just got round to it! This is for you David!”, thence leading into an utterly
stellar version of “Walk Among Us” my favourite Aunts number (hell, one of my all
time favourite songs by anyone ever), the song bearing the Dipper reference,
so a number as meaningful to me as any. A proper emotional, lump-in-the-throat
moment, this, and an indelible gig memory… yet one which was almost matched by
the subsequent “Everything Is Wrong”, the opening lines of which Dave had asked
for a singalong to, this wonderful and fully engaged crowd delivering in full
voice. Wow. I mean, wow.
No messin’, this was one of the all-time greats tonight. It was simply wonderful to hear these dearly-loved songs “live” one more time, delivered with such love and care, and received with such devotion by this awesome crowd. Truly, this was a night when band and audience came together so closely you could barely see the join, revelling in the sheer effervescent joy of the music. “Where I Find My Heaven” was another celebratory moment, the harmonies in full force, before a slower mid-section triad from that “Minor Chords” album showcased the Aunts’ understated melancholy melody. Dave then introduced Alex, to a chorus of “ole!”s from the crowd before a rambunctious, off-kilter “Rest Assured”, again featuring a soaring harmonic hook; then before the joyous circular hook of set closer “The Big Lie”, Dave fulsomely thanked the crowd again with, “Spain has been amazing for us! I appreciate more than anything in this crazy world that we’re in this moment together!” Wholly appropriate words to sum up this open-hearted celebration of a show.
A couple of encores as well, including a big surprise; before the “Confetti”-sprinkled laze-grunge of “Serious Drugs”, Dave offered a “long distance dedication” to Clive, my 90’s gig buddy and the guy Dave filmed my duetting with on this very number, back at that Kidderminster gig. Wow! A final round of thanks before fist-pumping singalong closer “Super Ultra Wicked Mega Love”, the band taking a well-deserved bow following a truly legendary showing. Caught my breath and chatted to both Manuel and another local Luis, as various Aunts appeared from backstage to sign stuff for this thankful audience. Eventually sneaked backstage for chats and reflections on the joyous inclusive nature of the gig, Phil in particular keen to know if it actually sounded like Gigolo Aunts. Hell, yes it did! More chat – including a welcome catch-up with bassist Stephen Hurley, who’d eluded me up to that point – before time wore on and Phil and Carrie decided to head off, which seemed an appropriate time for me to bid fond farewells to the boys and do so as well.
The
next day started with a rooftop swim in my hotel; then I checked out and
explored the city, hitting la Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and Las Ramblas,
before visiting “Poble Espanyol” again via the Montjuic Olympic Park for some
family souvenirs. A lot of walking around a hot city; I’m not sure if I was
sweatier doing that, or at last night’s gig! A trip to the building site that
currently passes for Barcelona FC’s Nou Camp stadium, before back to the
airport and a lengthy wait for my delayed flight. Back in for 1, so I crashed
at Sarah’s again, getting home 9ish Wednesday morning, wiped out both
physically and emotionally.
I’ve deliberately left this one a few days to see if some reflection would enable me to sum this up more appropriately. Not even sure whether that’s worked, but this was one that mere words couldn’t adequately convey. This was one of the all-time greats, an evening well worth flying to Spain for. So, I’ll round this one off with a Big Star quote – again, seemingly inadequate but conversely also appropriate - Thank You, Friends!
