Last Saturday I headed to the Side Show for the first time for Yoh!’s ‘Goth Gathering’ party…it was all-round a really weird night…
So there are a few reasons I found the night pretty damn odd…first one was the venue – it was my first time at the cavernous Side Show, which is actually pretty cool inside but it needs a massive crowd to come into its own and unfortunately the relatively modest turnout on Saturday didn’t touch sides, literally.
Next was the theme; for a ‘goth gathering’ there wasn’t much goth-ness going on… the background slideshow (featuring among other things this gem) was pretty great though and to be fair some people put effort into dressing up but most didn’t. Plus I heard maybe 2 or 3 tracks before the first act that could pass for gothy but for the most part the DJs filled the gaps between bands with early 2000s commercial hip-hop (I’m talking Usher, Eve, Outkast…).
But, when BOOLZ took to the stage and starting rapping, as 3 more acts would do afterwards, I understood that Ms Jackson was in actual fact a more appropriate mood-setter than Boys don’t cry…
Which brings me to the next oddity of the night: the inclusion of garage rockers The Gumbo Ya-Ya’s. Now I’m not a huge fan of their sound (or that of their ‘parent’ band, The Future Primitives) but that’s not why I found their presence weird – they just felt kinda out-of-place in the otherwise hip-hop lineup…At a ‘goth‘ party…
But nevermind, the crowd, dressed in black or otherwise, didn’t seemed bothered by any of the stuff causing me my minor OCD freakout – they danced and looked happy enough.
I know all my ranting might make it seem like the promise of copious eyeliner and dark 80s music was my reason for attending the event, but I was actually there for DOOKOOM.
Before all the drama and controversy that thrust them into the media spotlight, I’d heard that they were a must-see live act. And based on their performance on Saturday I have to agree – they definitely lived up to the hype.
Yes their music is aggressive, dark and controversial but none of that is exactly new to the genre – a lot of rap comes from anger and talks about oppression and other harsh aspects of life. That said, I haven’t listened to enough of DOOKOOM’s material to form a proper opinion on their lyrics and message, so will speak purely about the experience of seeing them live – I really enjoyed their set. Prowling the stage, Isaac Mutant exuded intensity, and his crowd interactions (eg.”you’re going to see some shit and call us racists and satanists”) and the occasional sardonic lyrics I could pick up here and there convinced me that they’ve got a sense of humour about things. At the end of the day they’re entertainers, and when they’re on a stage they put on a show.
I spent DOOKOOM’s set against a speaker, right in the middle of the the gaping no-man’s-land between the front of the stage and the crowd…it was another bizarre experience for the growing list. I wondered whether the band were keeping people at bay or if the crowd was just super law-abiding and didn’t want to cross the white line painted on the floor…
(I got an answer, of sorts, during Push Push’s set when an enthusiastic guy started dancing in the gap and was promptly escorted back behind the line by security…)
By this stage the crowd that had thinned towards the end of DOOKOOM’s set had swelled to near bursting while Push Push performed. I’m a fan – Oh! Dark Arrow is super cool (I especially love their track Cave Swoon) and so is Push Push by association. But more than that she’s perfectly capable of holding her own and watching her was entertaining, but it was listening to her that was really impressive – like a lot of fast rappers, the speed and sometimes viciousness with which she spits her words is very compelling.
At the end of her set, Push Push called to the crowd, a massive smile on her face, “Side Show, I had my doubts about this place but you showed up! I never thought I’d say this, but I fucking love you guys!”
I had my doubts too…and while I might not be rushing back to the Side Show in a hurry I definitely plan on seeing DOOKOOM and Push Push again.
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DOOKOOM | Push Push | Gumbo Ya-Ya’s | BOOLZ | The Side Show
